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Producer | La Rioja Alta |
Country | Spain |
Region | Rioja |
Varietal | Proprietary Red |
Vintage | 2017 |
Sku | 54105 |
Size | 750ml |
La Rioja Alta's Viña Ardanza has been our most popular Rioja for several years. It is no wonder, as this is the gold standard for traditional bodegas: a winery that ages their wines the old fashioned way, meaning three years in barrel with two rackings a year, followed by three years in bottle. According to the winery, the blend is, "80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha. The Tempranillo grapes come from 30-year-old vines planted in our Viña Ardanza vineyards in Fuenmayor and Cenicero. The Garnacha grapes come from old, goblet-pruned vines planted at an altitude of 600 m above sea level in Tudelilla (Rioja Baja), in plots adjacent to our Finca La Pedriza estate."
"A more vibrant and fruitier expression of Ardanza this year with strawberries, mussels, warm spices and berries. Round and silky on the palate with lovely spices and a long, nicely saline finish. A nice touch of creaminess works really well here and further extends the finish. 80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha. Drink or hold." James Suckling, 95 Points
"Made, as many wines were in the past, with a combination of Tempranillo from the Rioja Alta sub-region and 20% Garnacha from Tudelilla in the Rioja Oriental, this is a delicious release of Ardanza that shows no sign of the heat of the 2017 growing season. Aged for three years in American oak, it's tangy, savoury, layered and complex, with leather and tobacco leaf aromas, wild strawberry and red cherry fruit and appealing vanilla sweetness. 2024-2030." Tim Atkin MW, 94 Points
"2017 was not an easy harvest, but it produced some beautiful and classical wines, like the 2017 Viña Ardanza Reserva, which shows a little more advancement and polish and is ready to drink. It was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from their vineyard La Pedriza in Tudelilla. It fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in American oak barrels, 36 months for the Tempranillo and 30 for the Garnacha (that was harvested 15 days later). It's ripe and aromatic, tertiary, with 14.5% alcohol and mellow acidity, a medium-bodied palate and sleek tannins. It has a pungent note of clove and pepper, some licorice and ink and the cherries in liqueur from the Garnacha. An updated classical Ardanza." The Wine Advocate, 94 Points
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