2019 El Pison Riserva
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Tasting notes
What a fine, complex nose here, with dried herbs, blue and black berries and nuances of dark chocolate, mineral and hints of cigar box. Also scented with some violet and black pepper. This is rich and dense yet concentrated. Immaculately tight tannins with a powdery texture seep through from the entry to the end. Very long and glossy yet mineral and discreet. Tempranillo. From organically grown grapes. Will age gracefully. Drink or hold.
Critic scores
James Suckling
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The bottled version of the 2019 Viña El Pisón shows the ripeness (14.64% alcohol) and mellow acidity (4.78 grams of tartaric with a pH of 3.62) of the vintage, coming through as soft and gentle. The grapes from this iconic 2.4-hectare plot planted in Laguardia in 1945 had a soft vinification with gentle extraction in oak vats and matured in barrique for nine months. It has a combination of wild berries, herbs and spices, fennel and licorice and still a creamy touch. This is always austere early on, and you have to sense the mouthfeel—agile, long and complex—that denotes a great wine. It has very good persistence and is focused, clean, defined and pure. It has both power and elegance and very fine tannins, and all of it with subtleness. It should develop nicely in bottle. 6,600 bottles were filled in June 2021.
About the producer
Owner and winemaker Juan Carlos López de Lacalle is among an elite group of global vintners whose expertise creates wines that stand above others in their regions. Artadi produces refined Rioja in unoaked and oaked styles, including superb Reservas and single-vineyard wines such as Viña El Pisón.