About Bodegas Artuke 'Pies Negros', Rioja
Artuke Pies Negros Rioja is a beautifully vibrant and medium-bodied red wine from the cooler, high-altitude vineyards of Rioja Alavesa in the Basque Country. Made primarily from Tempranillo with small amounts of Graciano and white varieties co-fermented together, this Rioja is all about texture, freshness and elegance rather than heavy oak or power. Soft, coating tannins give the wine a velvet-like texture, while crunchy red fruit, tart red apple and dark summer berries bring brightness and energy across the palate. A year in barrel adds subtle spice and depth, but the focus here is purity, finesse and drinkability, making this a modern Rioja with incredible freshness and a long, refined finish.
Artuke was founded in 1991 and is now run by Arturo and Kike, second-generation winemakers and fifth-generation grape growers who focus obsessively on vineyard expression over cellar manipulation. Their 36 hectares are divided across more than 100 plots throughout Rioja Alavesa, with vineyards planted on poor gravelly soils rich in chalk and iron at altitudes reaching 690 metres above sea level. The cooler climate and later-ripening sites in villages like Samaniego help preserve freshness and structure, although harvest dates have shifted from October into September due to climate change. Artuke has become one of the leading names in the new wave of Rioja producers, focusing on co-fermentation, plot identity and elegant, terroir-driven wines that showcase a fresher, more refined expression of Tempranillo.
