D.O. Ca. Rioja, Spain - 100 Peñín. 98 Sucling. 97 Parker. 80% Tempranillo, 7% Graciano, 6% Garnacha, and 7% Palomino from a small 0.75-hectare vineyard in the Camino del Ciego area of Baños de Ebro. It is very elegant, with restrained ripeness, 13.8% alcohol, and a pH of 3.36. On the palate, it is velvety with very fine and elegant tannins and a chalky finish. It should age well in the bottle, as it possesses the necessary density and balance among its components. 1,500 bottles were released in December 2024. Recommended by The Sommelier.
ARTUKE LA CONDENADA 2023
Some vineyards survive against all odds. Plots that, due to their difficulty, low productivity, or location, seem destined to disappear. La Condenada 2023, from Artuke, comes precisely from one of these places. A single-vineyard wine that represents the recovery of a historic vineyard and one of the most personal, fresh, and elegant expressions of Rioja Alavesa.
La Condenada comes from the Camino del Ciego vineyard, located in Baños de Ebro, in Rioja Alavesa. It is a small plot of barely 0.75 hectares, planted in 1920, with old vines trained in the traditional bush vine system. The vineyard is situated between approximately 520 and 630 meters above sea level, on sandy soils with a sandstone subsoil and under a climate influenced by both the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
The varietal composition is the expression of a truly traditional vineyard. In 2023, approximately 80% of the blend consisted of Tempranillo, while the remainder was a combination of Graciano, Garnacha, and Palomino Fino. Therefore, this is not a wine made from a fixed recipe, but rather an interpretation of an old vineyard where different varieties coexist, as was traditionally the case in many Rioja plots.
The viticulture is organic and ecological, with the vines trained in the traditional bush vine system. The harvest is done by hand, with vine-by-vine selection, and the grapes are transported in 20-kilo crates. At the winery, the grapes are destemmed by hand and then sorted berry by berry before being gravity-fed into a small tank of approximately 2,000 kilos.
Fermentation is carried out with careful extraction, through daily punch-downs and pigeage. Subsequently, malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously in 600-liter French oak foudres. The wine then continues its aging for approximately 16 months in 600-liter oak barrels. Finally, it was bottled in December 2024 after gentle filtration and without stabilization.
The result is a wine that surprises with its combination of elegance, freshness, and depth. La Condenada 2023 does not strive for power or excessive concentration. Its expression is built on precision and delicacy: floral aromas, blue fruit, lavender, violets, and spices combine with a marked mineral dimension.
On the palate, it is a wine with a velvety texture, with extraordinarily fine and elegant tannins. The fruit appears fresh and restrained, with a sense of tension and balance that allows the wine to flow with remarkable fluidity. The finish reveals an attractive chalky and mineral dimension, prolonging the sensation of freshness.
The 2023 vintage has 13.8% alcohol and a pH of 3.36, a combination that helps explain its particularly fresh, elegant, and balanced profile. Production was extremely limited: approximately 1,500 bottles were produced.
The exceptional nature of this vintage has been recognized by some of the world's leading wine critics. La Condenada 2023 received 100 points in the Peñín Guide, which highlighted it as one of the finest expressions of freshness in Spanish Tempranillo. It also received 99 points from Tim Atkin, 98 from James Suckling, and 97 from The Wine Advocate.
But beyond the scores, La Condenada represents something especially valuable: the recovery of an old vineyard that could have disappeared and the demonstration that a wine's identity can be deeply linked to a specific plot. It is a wine of place, made from old vines and a traditional varietal blend, whose greatest virtue lies in its freshness.
At El Sumiller, we selected La Condenada 2023 because it perfectly embodies the kind of wine we seek: a minuscule production, an exceptional vineyard, a true story behind the bottle, and a personality impossible to replicate elsewhere.
A Rioja Alavesa of immense precision and elegance. A floral, mineral, and fresh wine, with exquisitely fine tannins and an extraordinary ability to convey the character of an old vine from Baños de Ebro.
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Bright, medium-intensity red.
Nose: Floral, expressive, and mineral, with aromas of lavender, violets, blue fruit, pepper, and aromatic herbs.
Palate: Elegant, fresh, and velvety, with very fine-grained tannins, great precision, and marked tension. The finish is mineral, chalky, and persistent.
Food Pairing
Ideal with poultry, white meats, game, Iberian cured meats, traditional dishes, and medium-intensity cheeses.
Serving temperature
Serve between 15 and 17°C.
Aging potential
Its balance of freshness, acidity, structure, and fine tannins gives it excellent aging potential in the bottle.
