1998 Artadi Grandes Anadas
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Tasting notes
At the top of the Artadi hierarchy is this limited production cuvees. Grandes Anadas is a majestic, ageworthy Rioja that may well be the single greatest wine made in that appellation. The 1998 Grandes Anades (100% Tempranillo from 70-100-year old vines) has only been made twice in the last seven years, 1994 and 1998. It is tannic and highly extracted, with lots of body. It is a broodingly backward, formidable wine with amazing concentration, purity, and overall balance. Long and concentrated, with a 40-50-second finish, it requires 3-4 years of cellaring and should evolve gracefully for three decades. This is a classic, yet singular expression of Rioja the likes of which can be found nowhere else in that viticultural area. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565
Critic scores
Robert Parker
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.