Senor Lopez de Lacalle says of the 1998 El Pison, “it is ripe but sometimes the tannin is more evident, a very well defined tannin, more structured”. After a decade in the bottle, it is displaying a lovely, complex, room-filling bouquet. While more structured than the 2004 and 2007, it still is a silky offering with loads of flavor that appeals to both the intellect and the senses. It will continue providing pleasure for another 15-20 years. 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.

Tasting Viña El Pisón 1998 twenty years on is a firm reminder that far too many wines are drunk too young. This is a wine coming into its own with plenty more energy still. It has an open, expressive character, the complexity of aromas making it alluringly promising in the glass. There’s nothing attenuated or ethereal on the palate – it's remarkably dense, with juicy redcurrant fruit and a punchy lift of freshness. The flavours build with notes of tobacco and pepper, structured by fine tannins and leading to an exceptionally long finish.

(from a vineyard planted in 1945 on chalky soil) Bright ruby. Floral, minerally flavors of red cherry, violet, dark chocolate, mustard seed and fresh herbs. Penetrating, tightly wound flavors of red cherry and red raspberry; a classy but very backward wine, aromatically precise but very difficult to taste today. Austere and subtly long on the finish. I suspect this highly perfumed Rioja will ultimately match the '98 Grandes Anades in quality.