Artadi | Rioja | San Lazaro | 2021 | 750ml | bio

Description

Product description for Artadi San Lazaro 2021 (bio)

Among the many wineries that have become known far beyond Rioja since the 1980s, Bodegas y Viñedos Artadi occupy a special position. Artadi is among the region’s top wineries, producing wines that have come from purely organic vineyards, now also biodynamically cultivated, since the 1980s. In 1985, several families joined together to form a cooperative, but they disagreed, so two of the families, Lacalle and Laorden, took over the winery. The re-establishment in 1992 marked the beginning of Artadi’s consistent rise. This also included leaving the Rioja Winegrowers’ Association, which is why the term “Rioja” is no longer found on wine labels. Artadi is one of the region’s best wineries, cultivating a more modern style. This is also due to the fact that it owns some of the best sites in Rioja, with vineyards like El Pisón and others.

Wine Information

Like few other Spanish bodegas, Artadi represents the transition from cellar-influenced to terroir-influenced wines. Since the 1990s, the winery in the Basque region of Rioja has focused on expressing the character of specific sites in its wines. The organically certified red wine “San Lazaro” comes from a 1.6-hectare, southeast-facing vineyard in the municipality of Laguardia. The 68-year-old Tempranillo vines grow on sandy-loam soils. As with all Artadi wines, the grapes are destemmed and fermented spontaneously. The wine is aged in oak barrels of various sizes and ages.

Colour

Purple red

Nose

The San Lazaro 2021 has a super-fresh and expressive nose, with crisp cherry fruit emerging. The aromas are more red than dark fruit, which is typical of a wine from Laguardia. Citrus notes like red grapefruit and floral hints like violets make the bouquet extremely sensual and invigorating. There is something light and airy about it. This nose is as pure as a mountain stream and of great aromatic expressiveness.

Palate

On the palate, the San Lazaro 2021 is very juicy and has a taut, gripping acidity. It has the finest tannins, a silky texture, and feels elegant, lean, and vibrant in the mouth. You wouldn’t notice at all that this wine has 14.5 percent alcohol. There’s no trace of wood either. The finish is aromatic and long, carried by silky tannins. What clarity, precision, and finesse! The San Lazaro 2021 is great Tempranillo cinema and a captivating wine.

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Keywords: Artadi San Lazaro 2021 bio Rioja Spain

Wine Advocate

Score: 97

A first bottle of the 2021 San Lázaro felt austere, serious and a little closed, but a second one was a lot more expressive and elegant but not quite reaching the expressiveness of the 2021 El Carretil that today stole the show. This is subtle, delicate and svelte, a wine of finesse (but never without power), harmonious and complete. 4,000 bottles were filled in May 2023.
Luis Gutiérrez

Vinous

Score: 94

Renowned for its commitment to crafting terroir-driven wines with precision, Artadi’s 2021 San Lázaro exemplifies this dedication. This 100% Tempranillo hails from a vineyard planted in 1956 in Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa on sandy-silt soils. Purple-red in hue, it offers precise aromas of blackberry and blueberry, accompanied by intense notes of bay leaf and wild herb. On the palate, it is dry, silky and moderately rich, with fine-grained, polished tannins that impart a subtle sense of depth. Energetic and ample in the mouth, the 2021 represents a meticulously crafted modern expression of Rioja.
— Joaquín Hidalgo
Drinking window: 2024 – 2040
Review date: Apr 2024

Producer website: https://artadi.com/en/artazu-navarra