Positioned on the rolling valley floor that lies at the base of the Sierra Cantabria mountain range, the small 3.5-hectare El Carretil vineyard was planted in 1975 and it is located at an altitude of 515 meters above sea-level. A deep-rooted, southeast-facing vineyard, its soil is comprised of nutrient-poor calcareous clay with a high concentration of active limestone, creating a deep, complex wine with a marked strength and minerality.
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2021
Country:
Spain
Region:
La Rioja
Appellation:
Vino de Espana
Variety:
Tempranillo
Color:
Red
Farming Practice:
Practicing Organic
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | ES-ART-21-21 | 6/750ml |
Resources
Press & Reviews
James Suckling
Score
99
Date
2023-11-15
"Intense aromas of white pepper, blueberries, graphite, metal shavings, violets, and black truffle follow through to a medium body with chewy and fine tannins and a very structured finish. Oyster shell as well. Subtle black pepper, too. Needs four or five years to soften and open. From organically grown grapes. Try after 2027."
Wine Advocate
Score
98
Date
2024-03-02
"The nose of the 2021 El Carretil is an explosion of flowers; it's aromatic, perfumed, open, expressive and super elegant, clean, nuanced and showy. It has a seamless palate with very fine tannins, ethereal, with lots of energy and light. This has to be the finest vintage of El Carretil to date. Today, this hits the bull's-eye. Bravo! 5,300 bottles were filled in May 2023."
Vinous
Score
93
Date
2024-04-18
"The 2021 El Carretil is 100% Tempranillo from Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa, planted on sandy-silt soils with 20% lime content. Exhibiting a purple hue, the nose offers herbal aromas of pea and pennyroyal, layered with notes of blueberry and bay leaf. On the palate, it is dry, chalky and rich, with a talcum powder texture that leads to a compact, austere flow. Vibrant and energetic, this wine embodies the taut and modern characteristics of Rioja, showcasing the streamlined nuances of Laguardia."
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
2020
James Suckling
Score
99
Date
2023-08-24
"Such depth, purity, concentration and minerality here that hooks you in, drawing you back to it again and again. Imagine smelling the wet stones. Then aromas of flowers, blue fruits, dried herbs, black cherries and iodine emerge. So much energy, volume and flavor on the palate with the mealy tannins giving it a fine gauze and etherealness. Lasting two minutes. Drink or hold."
2020
Wine Advocate
Score
97
Date
2023-02-28
"The 2020 El Carretil is fresh and fruit-driven with very fine, chalky tannins from the very high limestone and silt content in the soil, and it has the elegance of the sand component of the salag¢n soils. I found very good precision and elegance in this wine, from a vineyard that behaves well in less warm years and suffers in dry conditions. However, I found the wine to be spectacular, with balance and freshness, and it's very clean and fine-boned. It should develop nicely in bottle. 5,000 bottles were filled in June 2022."
2019
James Suckling
Score
99
Date
2022-09-13
2019
Wine Advocate
Score
96+
Date
2021-12-30
2018
Wine Advocate
Score
97+
Date
2021-01-21
2018
James Suckling
Score
96
Date
2021-09-07