Artadi 'El Seque' 2021

ID:
• Origin: Alicante, Spain
• Appellation: Alicante DO
• Grape variety: Monastrell (predominantly), Syrah
• Alcohol percentage: 14.7%
• Style: Ripe and juicy, spicy.
• Cellaring potential: Now until 2033.
• Rating: 93+/100 Wine Advocate.

El Sequé 2021 is a powerful yet remarkably fresh interpretation of Monastrell from high-altitude vineyards in Alicante. The combination of sun-drenched ripeness and the coolness of altitude results in a wine with generous fruit, as well as tension and precision. On the nose, dark cherry, plum, and wild herbs dominate, with accents of cedar, dried Mediterranean spices, and a light smokiness.

On the palate, it is full and juicy, with a core of ripe red and dark fruit, a spicy garrigue note, and fine, ripe tannins that provide structure without being harsh. The finish lingers long, with fruit, herbs, and a fresh backbone that makes the wine digestible and elegant.

Delicious with lamb chops, grilled eggplant with herbs, stews with olive and tomato, or hearty mushroom dishes.

Vinification.
The grapes come from organically farmed, high-altitude plots and are harvested ripe to preserve their Mediterranean expression. After fermentation, the wine is aged in 500-liter French oak barrels, with a focus on texture and spicy complexity without overpowering the fruit. Barrel aging lasts 6 months. The wine was bottled in December 2022 and then rested in the bottle until release.

The domain.
Artadi, located in Laguardia (Rioja Alavesa), evolved from a local cooperative tradition into one of the leading names in terroir-driven Spanish wine. Under the leadership of Juan Carlos López de Lacalle, the focus shifted decisively to origin: separate villages, specific soils, and ultimately individual vineyards as the starting point for style and quality. This vision also led Artadi to deliberately work outside the classic appellation frameworks to communicate the identity of the vineyards more freely.

In the vineyards, sustainable, natural farming is central: many plots are maintained without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and the aim is for biodiversity and living soils. In the cellar, this philosophy aligns with a precise, non-intrusive approach: extraction and oak usage are adjusted to the vintage and terroir, with the goal of preserving finesse, tension, and transparency. El Sequé fits into this same logic, but translates it to the Mediterranean landscape of Alicante.