El Escolladero 2023

A red wine that places its origin above its winemaking: dark berry fruit, fine herbal spice and a firm, cool structure. Artuke classifies its wines not by ageing time but by origin, and El Escolladero carries the name of its single vineyard.

The vineyard lies in Ábalos in Rioja Alavesa, at around 600 metres above sea level, on chalky clay soils. From Baños de Ebro, brothers Arturo and Kike de Miguel Blanco farm 30 hectares across 72 plots, organically and with a growing focus on biodynamic principles. The often terraced vineyards allow for no mechanisation, so every step is done by hand. The cool nights at this altitude give the wine freshness and acid tension.

85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano from vines planted in 1950. The grapes are hand-picked and fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts, partly as whole clusters. Ageing takes place in 600-litre barrels, which give the wine room to develop without overlaying it with oak notes. The estate forgoes artificial yeasts, excessive sulphur use and aggressive filtration.

Deep cherry red with violet hues. On the nose, blackberry and black cherry, along with violet and herbal spice. Juicy fruit meets firm tannins and vibrant acidity, with a long, chalky-mineral finish. Dry, 14.0% vol.

Pairs with saddle of lamb with rosemary, braised beef cheeks or paella with chorizo and peppers. Also excellent with aged Manchego and tapas such as Patatas Bravas or Chorizo a la Sidra.

Artuke belongs to the Rioja & Roll movement and the Futuro Vinador collective. In the 1950s, the brothers' grandfather bought a derelict plot of land at high altitude, earning him the nickname El Loco.