Artadi Valdegines 2020 (750ML)

96 JS / 94 WA

Naturally high concentration like the rest of Artadi wines. Crushed wet stones, more red and blue fruit than black fruit. Oyster shells, too. Nice chalky tannins on the palate, showing more suppleness and fluidity in the middle. Long and mineral finish. Drink now.—ZS, James Suckling

The 2020 Valdeginés was bottled after the shorter élevage in barrel, as it was transferred to tank after it finished malolactic. It has 14.5% alcohol and a fruit-driven personality and is fresh and balanced with very fine, grainy tannins. Valdeginés is 4.1 hectares of vines planted in Laguardia between 1982 and 1989 on silty and limestone soils. It fermented in open oak vats with a soft vinification followed by malolactic and nine months in barrel. This is elegant, balanced and medium-bodied, with a very silky mouthfeel, fine tannins and a clean and harmonious finish. 13,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2022. It was a short crop; they lost maybe 40% to mildew, and that might have given it additional concentration.--Luis Gutiérrez – The Wine Advocate