Santa Cecilia 2015 Artadi

Professional reviews

Robert Parker (92)

Even if 2016 is the year of change, there was a new wine already in 2015, the 2015 Santa Cecilia, a wine that might not be offered in some markets. It's named after a plot of Tempranillo that was planted in 1936 on very shallow soils in the village of Elvillar at 480 meters in altitude. They have around one hectare of vines between Lanciego and Elvillar, and they could potentially produce three or four barrels. When they bought the plot in 2015, it was semi-abandoned, so production started with very small amounts. The vinification was the same as for the rest: 24- to 48-hour cold soak, fermentation in open-top oak vats with indigenous yeasts, followed by malolactic in 225-liter oak barrels, where the wine matured for nine months. The oak is still present, and it has good freshness and elegance from the high altitude, where the soils are shallow. There are some rustic tannins that will benefit from food. There are only 300 bottles (one barrel!) of this wine.

BOW (8.50)

James Suckling (91)

Plenty of Indian spice coating the ripe berries on both the nose and palate, giving this a rather exotic feel. Medium-bodied with fine, spice-coated tannins that are lightly firm. The spicy fruit is unrelenting. Very tasty blend of corvina, cabernet sauvignon and merlot.