Artadi el Carretil 2020

Artadi El Carretil 2020 is a prestigious red made by Bodegas Artadi in Laguardia, Álava (Rioja Alavesa). It's a 100% Tempranillo single vineyard from a unique 3.5-hectare plot with limestone and sandy soils at 500 metres.

The Wine Advocate
RP 97

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The 2020 El Carretil is fresh and fruit-driven, with very fine, chalky tannins from the very high limestone and silt content of the soil, and shows the elegance of the sandy component of the “salagón” soils. I found very good precision and elegance in this wine, from a vineyard that does well in cooler years and suffers in dry conditions. Even so, I found the wine spectacular, balanced and fresh, very clean and delicately structured. It should develop very well in bottle. 5,000 bottles were filled in June 2022.

I tasted Artadi's 2020 and 2021 wines. They've been working to understand their soils in the valley, where they have a considerable amount of sand in the vineyards.

Published: 16 February 2023

The tasting note by James Suckling for Artadi El Carretil 2020, which he gave 99 points, is extremely complimentary and focuses on the wine's purity and energy.

Sensory Description (99 Points)

Nose: Suckling highlights a depth that "grips" the taster. First come mineral notes of wet stones, followed by aromas of flowers, blue fruit, dried herbs, black cherries and iodine.

Palate: Described as having "so much energy, volume and flavour", with mealy tannins like "fine gauze", giving an ethereal, refined feel.

Finish: The critic stresses the exceptional persistence, saying the finish lasts two minutes.

Verdict: "So much depth, purity, concentration and minerality here that it captivates you, drawing you back again and again".