Artuke Finca de los Locos 2024

Finca de los Locos comes from Bodegas y Viñedos Artuke, the Rioja Alavesa winery run by brothers Arturo and Kike Blanco, who took the family name from their own. The wine is sourced from Las Escaleras, a single plot between 520 and 530 metres planted by their grandfather on soils of sand, gravel and limestone that many locals thought unsuited to vines. That altitude gives a wide diurnal range, with cold nights preserving acidity and aromatic detail, while the poor, free-draining soils restrict vigour and concentrate the fruit. The blend is led by Tempranillo with Graciano for acidity and colour and a little Viura, co-fermented in the traditional Rioja manner. After fermentation the wine is aged sixteen months in French oak, where slow oxygen exchange refines the tannins and adds a measured spice and vanilla frame without dominating. The result is a fragrant, savoury Rioja: deep cherry-red, with cherry and blackberry fruit, violet, black pepper and a stony, mineral undertone. The palate is medium to full bodied, fresh and finely structured, with a long, spiced finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees with roast and grilled meats.