Juan Carlos López de Lacalle
A textbook renegade, for sure, given his departure from the DoCa. it’s easy to see why such an established producer might ‘go it alone’, and leave an organisation which permits the product of Spain’s most famous wine regions to be sold for not much more than £5 in UK supermarkets. Bodegas y Viñedos Artadi’s departure would not have won so much attention were it not for the quality of the wines. The winery’s beginnings were humble – founded in 1985 from a collective of wine-growers. They were blessed with a producer of the vision and intensity of juan Carlos López de Lacalle. He grew the business, with Benjamín Romeo – who went on to set up on his own at Contador – working alongside him as winemaker for a number of years. The prices of Artadi have risen dizzily, but with reason. The quality of the singlevineyard wines is exceptional. Riojan throughand-through, despite what it says on the label.