Artaxo
Garnacha… a trio of micro plots unite to create an incredible wine.

 

Artaxo, a name derived from the origin of the garnacha used for this cuvée which Luis describes as a “puro cañonazo”. No explanation needed here.

Artaxo, refers to Artajona, a town where the La Dehesa and Zumadia vineyards are located, and Artasu, where the Orendainaldea vineyard is located. Three vineyards made up of clay and limestone soils for a unique garnacha blend. The vineyards are made up of micro-plots of old vines, almost all pruned into goblets. As always, they are cultivated without herbicides, without insecticides and without treatments with systemic phytosanitary products. During the manual work of the vines, Luis only uses sulfur or small doses of copper if necessary.

The manual harvest is carried out in small crates, the entire production is destemmed, then mostly foot trodden. Each plot is fermented separately with its indigenous yeasts. Following spontaneous malolactic conversion, the wine is aged in French and Navarra oak barrels. As always, a wine produced with minimal intervention, assembled, and then bottled without clarification or filtration.

Reviews

2019 Vintage

The new “grand vin” in the Bordeaux sense is the 2019 Artaxo, a pure Garnacha from three organically farmed but not certified old vineyards. It fermented with 15% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in used 300- and 500-liter French oak barrels. It has a Mediterranean nose of aromatic herbs and good ripeness at 14.5% alcohol while keeping the poise and balance. It’s juicy and spicy, with a certain austerity and chalky, fine-grained tannins. 1,800 bottles were filled in February 2021.
92 pts — Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (Nov. 2021)