Artuke Rioja Paso las Manas 2021

Region: Rioja Alavesa, Spain

Grape Variety: Tempranillo

Former European Reserve Club Selection

Arturo and Keke de Miguel are 4th generation farmers who began working with their father, Roberto. Roberto was the first in his family to begin bottling their wines instead of selling them in bulk to the big houses in Haro. Arturo joined him first in 2003, followed by Keke in 2010. 

At first, the boys chased the modern style of winemaking popular a decade ago, with extended macerations and 200% new oak. This was a trend a decade ago, fueled by Aussie winemakers, where post fermentation the wine undergoes malolactic conversion in a new barrel, the is aged in a different new barrel, further enhancing the oak taste. Those wines were predictably dense and oaky, but lacked any real Rioja character. As Arturo tells it, their father allowed them their folly, and while the wines were popular, both brothers found them undrinkable after a few years. Eventually, they returned to the more classic methods of fermentation and aging, focusing instead on better farming and expressions of each site in their wines. Paso las Mañas is one of their highest elevation sites and while it is currently not their oldest, or most acclaimed, the brothers feel it is eventually going to be their best.

The Paso las Mañas vineyard is a single vineyard wine, called a Vinedos Singulars, from the village of Samaniego, in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa sub-region. At 2100 feet above sea level this is their highest elevation site, a windswept plateau with gravel soils over clay with a commanding view of the Ebro River far below. Their grandfather purchased this site in 1950 with most of his neighbors telling him he was crazy because it is too high to ripen fruit. In fact, Artuke makes a wine called Paso de los Locos from the vineyard below this, and the name of that wine actually  means “terrace of the crazy.” The vines in Paso las Mañas were planted in 1980 so they are not the oldest but the brothers feel this will ultimately be their best wine. Due to the elevation this vineyard is only planted to Tempranillo as Graciano and Manzuela, two of their grandfather’s favorites for blending, would never ripen at this elevation. The wine is fermented in large oak foudres and 500 liter French oak barrels, with roughly 15% new. 

Arturo and Keke explain that their goal is to apply Burgundian logic to their single vineyard bottlings. While not yet a “grand cru” in their mind, and we have those too if you are interested, they consider this a premier cru. With a goal of allowing the character of the site to shine through this wine displays a gorgeous nose of cherry confiture, red licorice, caramel, bay leaf, rose petals and wet sea shells.  On the palate there is an initial pop of fruit but then the tannins are much bigger and more assertive than the nose indicates, with a chalky, fine finish. Drink 2025-2030.