2007 El Pison Riserva
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Excellent vintage because cold, and powerful freshness. pH very low. Blackish crimson. Strong, sweet, spicy leather notes. Like essence of Tempranillo. Very smooth and rich. Velvety; this is really fine wine that is in the rich style of Artadi but works. The fruit dominates the oak here. My comment that this wine is very different from traditional rioja is firmly rejected. (JR)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jay S Miller, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2007 El Pison is medium purple in color with a superb, already complex nose of smoke, liquid mineral, crushed stone, lavender, balsamic, and black cherry. This leads to a beautifully proportioned, elegant, satin-textured wine with plush fruit, plenty of structure, and a lengthy, seamless finish. It can be approached now although it is still evolving and should drink well through 2027. Senor Lopez de Lacalle’s description of the 2007 is “delicate, pure, and a wine of finesse.” No visit to Rioja would be complete without a visit to Artadi and maestro Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle. Artadi’s most recent releases are the 2007s which were reviewed in Issue 183. On this occasion, we sampled the promising 2009s from barrel in addition to the 4 vintages of the flagship Vina El Pison (all of which have been previously reviewed, the 1995 and 1998 by Robert Parker). The El Pison comes from a single Tempranillo vineyard planted in 1945 on pure limestone. Importer: Eric Solomon Selections, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565
The 2007 El Pison is medium purple in color with a superb, already complex nose of smoke, liquid mineral, crushed stone, lavender, balsamic, and black cherry. This leads to a beautifully proportioned, elegant, satin-textured wine with plush fruit, plenty of structure, and a lengthy, seamless finish. It can be approached now although it is still evolving and should drink well through 2027. Senor Lopez de Lacalle’s description of the 2007 is “delicate, pure, and a wine of finesse.” Jay Miller, eRobertParker.com # 189 Jun 2010
The 2007 El Pison is medium purple in color with a superb, already complex nose of smoke, liquid mineral, crushed stone, lavender, balsamic, and black cherry. This leads to a beautifully proportioned, elegant, satin-textured wine with plush fruit, plenty of structure, and a lengthy, seamless finish. It can be approached now although it is still evolving and should drink well through 2027. Senor Lopez de Lacalle’s description of the 2007 is “delicate, pure, and a wine of finesse.” Jun 2010, www.robertparker.com
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.