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Luis Gutierréz the critic Robert Parkers wrote in 2018:
"The 2018 Pies Negros was made from grapes grown in the Sierra Cantabria in the village of Ábalos, so it's another village wine, even if it's not officially recognised as there is no winery in Ábalos! It is a blend of Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, fermented from destemmed but uncrushed grapes with indigenous yeasts and aged for 12 months in 500 litre oak barrels, except for 10% of the volume which was stored in concrete for that time. It has not stopped growing in the glass and the flavours are subtle and elegant. Since they have been working with larger oak containers, they have had to learn to work in more reductive conditions; they seem to have mastered that now, at least with some wines, like this one. The wines are more subtle and less immediate than the barrel-aged wines, and this long-cycle vintage tends towards that wine profile. The palate is very balanced and fresh, with a core of red fruits, bright flavours and very good precision. 70,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in two lots; the one I tasted is from December 2019."
FTF comment: "Artuke is constantly striving to improve the quality of their wines. This is reflected in the ratings, which have steadily increased over the years from 89 points in 2014 to 93 (2018) iand 92 (2020). The lack of a rating for 2019 is probably due to Corona.
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