Artuke, El Escolladero, D.O. Rioja, red wine, 0.75l

Escolladero comes from the Spanish word escollo: translated: obstacle, hazard. The vineyards are located close to the most inaccessible areas, which traditionally served as footpaths across the Cantabrian mountains. Hence the name of the wine. 100% hand-picked with the aim of selecting only the very best grapes. The grapes are also destemmed by hand and placed into 2,000 kg micro-vats, where they are trodden and stirred by hand every day. Finally, spontaneous malolactic fermentation takes place in 600-litre French oak barrels, where the wine remains for between 12 and 16 months. The grape varieties used are Tempranillo and Graciano. In Artuke wine we find characteristics linked to one particular place in the Spanish Rioja region - Baños de Ebro. The wine is made by the brothers Arturo and Kike, who are followers of the fifth generation of winemakers and are, at the same time, the heart and soul of this small winery where everything is still done the old way, with respect for previous generations and experience. Arturo and Kike look after the wine from the vineyards right through to every detail of the harvest and production techniques, in which they continue proven, conservative practices. The Artuke winery never had the ambition to blend in among the countless wineries of the Spanish Rioja region; rather, from the start it was clear to them that there is no better strategy than to be constantly present in the vineyard and devote themselves to their passion. By their own estimate, they spend up to 98% of their time in the vineyards, which, as wine experts know, is essential to the final result.  Production is limited given the  22 hectares divided into 32 mini plots. The aim is for every plot to express the identity of its area as well as possible. The vineyards are tended daily with the goal of finding the best fruit, which gives the wine complexity and interesting nuances. Vineyard orientation, altitude, climate and timing are all factors Arturo and Kike take into account, and the result is outstanding.