2018 ‘Ars Nova’ Tempranillo/ Cabernet / Merlot, Tandem

The Art of Balance.

A wine that bridges classic and contemporary with quiet confidence, the 2018 Ars Nova is all polish, poise and purpose. Deep ruby in colour, it opens with aromas of black cherry, cassis and plum, layered with cedar, mocha and a hint of dried herbs. The palate is sleek and harmonious with supple Tempranillo fruit framed by the structure of Cabernet and the silk of Merlot. Ripe tannins, refined oak and a cool mineral edge bring precision and lift, leading to a long, elegant finish that lingers on dark fruit and spice. This is modern Navarra: expressive, serious, yet wonderfully drinkable.

For when: the food’s hearty and the conversation’s easy.
Pairs with: roast lamb, slow-cooked beef, or rich tomato-based dishes.
If this wine were a song, it’d be a jazz trio, smooth, structured, perfectly in sync.

Tandem, founded in 2003 by José María Fraile and winemaker Ariane Abad, is one of Navarra’s most forward-thinking estates. Nestled in the cooler, northern Yerri Valley, at the foothills of the Pyrenees, the winery champions slow, natural fermentations and minimal intervention to preserve the purity of fruit and sense of place. The estate’s vineyards, planted on limestone and clay at altitudes of 500–800 metres, benefit from a fresh Atlantic influence that gives their wines poise and finesse.

The Ars Nova is Tandem’s calling card, an artful blend that captures their philosophy of elegance over excess. Aged 24 months in French oak, it balances Old World sensibility with New World vitality. The 2018 vintage, long and temperate, produced fruit of outstanding balance, yielding a wine that lives up to its name: a true new art of Navarra winemaking.