Paso Las Manas, Rioja, 2018

Name: Paso Las Manas, Rioja
Brand: Bodegas Artuke
Price: 142.33 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2018 2019 2020 2021

justerini & brooks tasting note

The first “Premier Cru” in the Artuke range, Paso Las Manas is a young site planted by Arturo and Kike at 720m elevation, abutting the Sonsierra mountains. An extremely exposed, windswept site planted on clay and mountain rock, many of the vines have been single staked in order to lend additional support. Cooler temperatures and prevailing winds means that the grapes are naturally small and low yielding with high levels of natural acidity. Harvest in 2018 took place a full 22 days later in Paso Las Manas than in Finca Los Locos, just 2km away. 100% Tempranillo with a bright acid structure, precise floral aromas, tight brambly fruit and close-knit tannins. Deep and impressive but vivid and chiselled nonetheless.

critic reviews

95/100Luis Gutierrez,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The second vintage of a vineyard at 700 meters in altitude in the village of Samaniego is the 2018 Paso Las Manas, pure Tempranillo planted in 1990 and 2013. It fermented destemmed and with indigenous yeasts and matured in two 3,500-liter oak foudres for 12 months. This was a little closed at first and showed shy and subtle. It has an elegant and aromatic profile, in this case, possibly from the higher altitude of the vineyard. This is elegant and a little lighter than Finca de los Locos, but it still has firm tannins and a serious backbone. This feels fresher than the 2017, more delicate, more Burgundian, whereas the 2017 was more Rhone-ish. This is really very good, and it's remarkable for a young vineyard that already delivers low yields. I think that is sign of a very good place. So, when these vines get older, the wine should get even better. 6,000 bottles were filled in January 2020.

DRINKING WINDOW 2020 - 2028

date of review 10/2020