Saleta Monastrell, Jumilla 2019

Founded in 2002, Artiga has a ‘new world’, modern approach to wine. The company was created by Martí Quer when he returned to his native Spain after spending several years as a head sommelier in New York, and he has spent many years building good relationships with growers to ensure only high quality grapes are used. These are sourced from four DOs – Alicante, Jumilla, La Mancha and Campo de Borja – and vinified using state-of-the-art wineries in these regions.

The wine we buy from Artiga is Saleta, and the grapes for this (mostly moscatel, with around 15% sauvignon blanc) come from coastal vineyards in La Marina, the sub-zone of Alicante where the vineyards rise from the Mediterranean Sea.

The hot, humid Mediterranean weather is perfect for moscatel, and the sea breezes help to produce richly aromatic, ripe grapes with a crisp acidity. The soils are mainly limestone, with some areas of alluvial clay left by the rivers flowing towards the coast.

Scottish-born winemaker Pamela Geddes, who learned her craft in Australia, selects only the healthiest grapes, which ensures a balanced wine, but also means production quantities are limited according the quality of each vintage.

Fermentation occurs in stainless-steel tanks at cool temperatures, with no oak contact and an early bottling, which best captures the fresh, aromatic character of the moscatel grape.