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Pre-Arrival
Artadi El Carretil 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$197.95
Such depth, purity, concentration and minerality here that hooks you in, drawing you back to it again and again....
Pre-Arrival
Artadi La Poza De Ballesteros 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$140.24
Deep yet vibrant nose with morello cherries, iodine, oyster shells, crushed stones and fine spices. Certainly nothing...
Pre-Arrival
Artadi Quintanilla 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$83.95
Excellent depth here showing iodine, mussel shells, hibiscus, spices and lots of black and blue fruit. Chalky tannins...
Pre-Arrival
Artadi Rioja Vina El Pison 2009
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$317.60
The delicate balance between all of the natural agents that comprise this unique environment produces a wine that is...
Pre-Arrival
Artadi Rioja Vina El Pison 2016
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$349.92
The purity of fruit to this is really something else. I am not sure I have tasted a young Spanish wine with such...
Pre-Arrival
Artadi Rioja Vina El Pison 2017
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$279.95
This is very tight and focused with precise tannins that run deep and long on the palate. Character of blackberries,...
Pre-Arrival
Artadi San Lazaro 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$111.95
Such depth and natural concentration with a bit more tar and wet stones. Floral, too, with some lavender and violets...
Pre-Arrival
Artadi Valdegines 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$68.74
Naturally high concentration like the rest of Artadi wines. Crushed wet stones, more red and blue fruit than black...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$84.95
Okay, now they're really starting to turn out the hits with regularity. Feels poised and confident, while pointing...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$73.95
A famously difficult year in Rioja with frost and hail, as well as some botrytis. However Macán shows plenty of...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$51.94
Aromas of blackberries and crushed stones with some black licorice and violets, following through to a medium body...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$55.90
A balanced, medium-bodied red, with a pleasing, plush texture, this shows a well-knit range of ripe cherry and black...
Pre-Arrival
Benjamin Romeo Contador 2014
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$294.61
‘You can’t spit this,’ Benjamín Romeo told me when I tasted it from barrel. It wasn’t the finished blend,...
Pre-Arrival
Benjamin Romeo Contador 2017
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$334.41
This is showy, expressive, open and aromatic and seems to jump right out of the glass with decayed flowers, ripe wild...
Pre-Arrival
Benjamin Romeo Contador 2018
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$335.64
I like the austerity and seriousness of the 2018 Contador, which has very similar parameters as the 2019 but comes...
Pre-Arrival
Benjamin Romeo Contador 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$362.36
The 2020 Contador feels a little more civilized than the 2021 I tasted next to it. The profile is similar—ripe dark...
Pre-Arrival
Benjamin Romeo La Cueva Del Contador 2014
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$64.95
Youthful purple. A complex, oak-spiced bouquet displays ripe boysenberry and cherry, candied violet, cola and mocha...
Carignan Malbec Tempranillo Zinfandel Spain La Rioja Pre-Arrival Wine
Carignan is an ancient blue-skinned grape varietal, thought to be indigenous to the Aragon region of Spain. However, today it is most commonly associated with the fine wines of southern France, and has been grown in many countries around the world which have the warm and dry conditions it requires to thrive. Carignan is recognized as being quite a sensitive vine, highly susceptible to all kinds of rot and mildew, although producing excellent results when given the right conditions and handled correctly. Its high tannin levels and acidity make the Carignan grapes very astringent, and as such, they are often used as a blending grape to give body to other, lesser bodied varietals. Despite this, with careful treatment, Carignan can produce superb single varietal wines packed full of character and unique attributes.
The purple Malbec variety grapes which now grow all over the Old and New Worlds had their origins in France, where they are one of the few grape varieties allowed to be used in the highly esteemed blended wines of Bordeaux. However, it is perhaps the New World Malbec wines which have attracted the most attention in recent years, as they thrive in hot southern climates in ways they cannot in their native country, where the damp conditions leave them highly vulnerable to rot. Malbec grapes are renowned for their high tannin content, resulting in full-bodied red wines packed with ripe, plummy flavors and held in their characteristically dark, garnet colored liquid. In many countries, Malbec is still used primarily as a varietal for blending, as it adds a great level of richness and density to other, lighter and thinner varietals. However, single variety Malbec wines have been greatly on the rise in recent years, with some fantastic results and big, juicy flavors marking them out as a great wine for matching with a wide range of foods.
There are plenty of notable native Spanish grapes which have made a big impression on the wine world at large, but none are as renowned or as widely loved as the Tempranillo varietal. This black skinned grape has been used for wine making for centuries, with several ancient civilizations noticing the fact that it is highly versatile and holds some delicious flavors and aromas, perfect for those looking for a powerful yet elegant grape for their wines. Tempranillo often causes winemakers some trouble, however, as it is highly susceptible to many diseases. Despite this, plenty continue to persevere with this varietal, as it is perfect for producing delicious and complex single variety and blended wines, packed full of classic Spanish flavors and plenty of aromatic and intense surprises.
The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.
Ever since the Phoenicians and Romans brought their knowledge of vine cultivation to Spanish soils, the country's culture has grown alongside wine production, with wine being a vital part of Spanish identity and Spanish traditions. Each region of Spain has a wine quite distinct from the others, and it is produced by smallholders and families as much as it is by large companies and established wineries. From the relatively mild and lush regions of La Rioja to the arid plateaus that surround Madrid, grapes are grown in abundance for the now booming Spanish wine industry, and new laws and regulations have recently been put in place to keep the country's standards high. By combining traditional practices with modern technology, Spanish wineries are continuing to produce distinctive wines of great character, flavor and aroma, with the focus shifting in recent decades to quality over quantity.
La Rioja is by far the most famous wine region of Spain, and remains one of the world's great wine producing regions, consistently offering deep, complex red wines of character and distinction, partly due to the fact that La Rioja benefits from excellent soils, rich in minerals and nutrients, and plenty of sunshine. The climatic conditions allow the fine grape varietals to reach full ripeness and express plenty of the best features of their terroir, making La Rioja wines some of the most interesting to have ever come out of Europe. The Cantabrian mountains to the north provide the perfect shelter from the colder, wetter influences of the Atlantic oceans, and in the beloved vineyards of La Rioja, wineries have been cultivating exceedingly flavorful Tempranillo grapes for generations for the inclusion in their fine single variety and blended wines.