Intéressante contribution rédigée par Tim Atkin, un véritable connaisseur de la scène vineuse espagnole. Il publie régulièrement des rapports particulièrement bien informés. Lorsque je veux approfondir ma compréhension de ce qui se passe en Rioja ou en Galice, je commence par lire Tim Atkin. Sa connaissance du terrain, combinée à son titre de Master of Wine, est impressionnante, sa plume est bien tournée.

Au-delà de son expertise dans le vin, il est aussi un excellent photographe et un amateur de musique.

Dans sa newsletter de ce vendredi, il aborde la question de la cuvée d’entrée de gamme et du soin qui lui est apportée par le vigneron. En voici le texte:

Judge a winery by their cheapest bottle

Arturo de Miguel makes some of the best wines in Rioja. For what it’s worth, I’ve given his top wine, La Condenada, 100 points. Twice. The wine sells for around €80, (startlingly cheap for the quality). He also produces a much cheaper red called Artuke. It’s a Tempranillo made with the carbonic maceration technique that’s been used in this part of Spain for centuries. This wine sells for €8.
 
Someone asked Arturo why he still makes the latter wine, given his growing recognition as one of the world’s top winemakers. Is it good for his bodega’s image? His response was interesting. First, it’s a tribute to his parents, who started the business in 1991 with just that one wine. Second, it pays the bills and keeps the lights on. And, most important of all, he enjoys making something that everyone can afford to drink.
 
Is it as good as La Condenada? Of course not. But it’s arguably easier to make a few thousand bottles of a top wine than 80,000 bottles of a crowd-pleaser. That’s why I always tell people to judge wineries by their cheapest wine. If they do that well – and Arturo says he gives all his charges the same level of attention – then you can trust the fancy stuff. What’s more, you generally get to drink something delicious.

https://timatkin.com/
https://anthocyane.be/magasin/Artuke-c64258141