Monastrell By El Sequé

Artadi offers us its "By Artadi" range, a series of wines rooted in the indigenous variety and their land of origin: Tempranillo from Álava, Monastrell from Alicante and Garnacha from Navarra. They are wines made from the produce of their own vineyards, those which, although still young, have already reached considerable maturity and provide balanced yields. Single varietal wines that show all the strength of the fruit, maintain the impetus of youth and demonstrate their maturity in the way they express themselves thanks to a respectful ageing.

Assuming that blind tasting a wine always proves to be a surprising and stimulating experience, the tasting of this Monastrell from Artadi was particularly special. These sensations increased with the first sip, on realising we recognised something familiar about the wine; the whole tasting team was united in pointing this out to be a particularly elegant wine. Its Mediterranean profile was evident, dominated by the first rays or maybe the last of the Levant sun; just the right amount of warmth, cooled by the breeze of the Alicante coast.

Its density is low and its cherry colour with violet glints can't conceal the small percentage of Syrah which adds an extra touch of internationality and lusciousness. Its nose is complex, definitely Mediterranean: it smells of strawberry trees, pines and rosemary, liquorice and blackberries. It's fresh from beginning to end on the palate, true that the fruit is rather ripe, but some delightful streaks of bitterness and acidity allow it to flow effortlessly and wonderfully with every sip. The earthy and menthol hints, as well as the blue flower notes, confirm this as a Monastrell red, but its freshness is unusual, perhaps due to the origin of its grapes, growing at an altitude of 600 metres. Its finish is delightful, mature and spicy, fresh and balsamic: pure Artadi elegance.