I’ve had the opportunity to taste at Artesa several times in the past year. Sometimes I was only there for Artesa wines. Other occasions were seminars on the Carneros AVA in general, which included several wineries. One of those was an extensive winemaker-guided tasting of whites and reds from the region which I put together for my WWET conference for wine writers. Every time I visit Artesa, I’m struck by the beauty of the winery and its setting, and the quality of the Artesa wines.

Codorniu Raventos, the Spanish Cava pioneer, began establishing vineyards in Carneros during the 1980s. In 1991, they created Codorniu Winery there to produce sparkling wines. [You can my reviews of high-end Cordorniu Raventos Cava and more information on the company here.]

By 1997, the focus had shifted overwhelmingly to the still wines, so Codorniu Raventos rebranded their Carneros winery Artesa. The name may sound a bit like “artisan” to English speakers and actually does mean “hand-crafted” in Codorniu Raventos’ local language, Catalan. Today, Artesa still makes a very good sparkling wine, but the rest of their production is still, varietal wines, especially Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Carneros.

Their 350-acre holdings in Carneros include flat lands, but also slopes and the highest hill in the AVA. 150 acres are dedicated to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a variety of clones and rootstocks. All of the vineyards are certified Napa Green.

A view of low-lying vineyard blocks at Artesa

Ana Diogo-Draper has been Artesa director of winemaking since 2015. Her Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are elegant, yet full-flavored, representations of the region and specific vineyard blocks. Oak is less prominent in her wines than were typical for Artesa in years past, but adds depth and delicious nuances. For more on Ana’s approach to the winemaking, please see my article, The T-Word, on GuildSomm.

The winery and tasting room are very unique. Dug into the top of a hill and then covered over with grass, they are in harmony with the countryside. The altitude affords great views from the entrance and the tasting salon’s patio. Inside, the design is modern, attractive, comfortable. And the artistic tasting salon makes you feel as though you’ve been transported to Spain.

The tasting salon at Artesa

The review below is based on a press sample.

2015 Artesa Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Carneros 91 14.6% 750ml $45

This dark, ruby-colored Pinot Noir exemplifies the combination of ripeness and finesse typical to top wines from Carneros. The nose is rich with black cherry, grilled herb, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a subtle note of wood. Black cherry features on the long-lasting palate too, complemented by dark spices and toasted oak. Body is medium-plus with the right amount of juiciness and very fine, well-integrated tannins to balance the fruit nicely. This will drink very well over the next seven years. It shows best from 54° to 58°.

Copyright Fred Swan 2018. Photo of tasting salon courtesy of Artesa. Photo credit for the others: Tim Kennedy, Napa Film. All rights reserved.