La Rioja Alta, Vina Ardanza Reserva, Rioja

Great rioja in its prime. Elegantly framed, this is leaning out slowly and will be a marathon runner. Lovely is a great descriptor for this humble find. The dill character is starting to melt and should produce more floral attributes as this morphs and rebalances and ages into its adult character. Checks enough boxes to be a great wine to open at any age and juncture of its life with mine. Drink!

2016 vintage

Bu dès l'ouverture. On sent les 3 ans d'élevage en fût de chêne américain. Les tannins sont bien fondus. Profil de vin sudiste, puissant avec une belle acidité assez prononcée et une longueur interminable sur le bois. Si vous aimez les vins à l'odeur et au goût à dominance boisés ce vin est fait pour vous. Beau vin.

2016 vintage

Nice but incredibly oaky

2016 vintage

What an exceptional wine. It’s drinking so well at the moment.

2016 vintage

Déviante/madérisée?

2016 vintage

Drank this with Spanish tapas and it was incredible. Had opened another bottle about 6 months ago that was spoiled, so was fearful this one was too, but it was the best wine of the night by far. All of the notes you expect from a great Rioja were there, and perfectly balanced. The age had tamed the American oak to where it was still noticeable, but not overpowering, and secondary notes of leather and tobacco rounded things out. Drinking …

2004 vintage

Quick notes - stellar rioja, one of my favorite red wines at this $35-$40 price point. Brought to a Basque restaurant to pair with this wonderful beef roast. Nose of bountiful oak - smoke, cedar, tobacco, old cigar box. Still green at opening - bell pepper, vegetables, dill, which finally opened up to plums and blackberries after a bit of air and time. Great acidity, with grippy tannins that also mellowed after a bit of air time. One I always …

2016 vintage

Bright strawberry fruit flavor. Not too tannic or alcoholic, but has enough complexity. Easy drinking and good value. Needed about an hour decant. Great QPR.

2016 vintage

Mature vanilla and cassis notes.Wonderful.

2012 vintage

very enjoyable and approachable wine. Pull and pour although might have benefited from a 1-2 hour decant. Mild tannins, nice finish, strawberry/cherry flavors with med spices. Great value.

2016 vintage

Deep, near opaque, colour; muffled nose, sombre fruits, plenty of of oak; fleshy, rich fruit & lashings of vanillin oak; signs of starting to dry on a finish with a firm edge. Best drunk soon.

2004 vintage

Regardless of vintage, the Ardanza is simply a remarkably consistent and delicious Rioja. Hard to beat for me at less than $40 a bottle.

2016 vintage

For me- perfect balance. Complex nose with lilac, vanilla and a gentle touch of cedar Good subdued and evolving black fruit without noticeable heat or jamminess. A complex loooong finish with black pepper, leather.... In a good spot within the drinking window

2016 vintage

Great, but less convincing than the last magnum I had in November 2024.

2016 vintage

Mature and smooth. Color changing nicely.

2012 vintage

Deep garnet. Dirt. Leather. Oak. White pepper. White chocolate. Pencil shavings. Balanced. Firm yet round tannins. Very long finish. 2016 needed a few hours to open up. So far, go-to order is ‘15, ‘17, ‘16.

2016 vintage

Traditional Rioja through and through. Wine opened up after 1:30 hour decant. On the nose a lot of red cooked fruit with a lot of vanilla and baking spices. The acidity remains vibrant, dusty tannins. The finish is long and complex, with persistent notes of spice and dried fruit. This will continue to evolve for the next 3-5 years.

2012 vintage

This is drinking nicely. Good dark cherry and blackberry fruit, leather and cigar box and a light vanilla from the oak. Good depth, medium body and medium to long finish. Solid acidity and refined tannins, lovey.

2012 vintage

Glorious!

2004 vintage

The wine was decanted for 2 hrs. Nice medium garnet colour. Strong legs in line with the 14.5% ABV. On the nose Med+ aromas of ripe red cherries and plums, liquorice, vanilla, coconut, sweet spices, coffee, caramel, leather, and a bit of earth. Palate shows a dry wine, med+ acidity, med tannins, full body and a nice long finish. An outstanding wine which has more time to evolve.

2016 vintage

sad times, 6/6. I've enjoyed my previous bottles of this a lot, and while there's nothing wrong with this one, it's just not quite as nice as the 2013 Bosconia I had a couple of nights ago. Not the wine's fault though! Beyond that: it's Ardanza - you know what this tastes like, very reliable in my experience

2012 vintage

Shows tertiary characteristics predomiantly. Oak, vanilla, hints fo leather and where the dark cherry, and blueberries come second. Soft acidity that holds it well in the palate and very soft smooth tannins. Gorgeous

2016 vintage

Classic old school style Rioja - acidity, cherries, oak, butter, spices and dried orange peel. Can’t go wrong with this!

2012 vintage

Another crumbly cork. Use Durand always! Wine still offers only pure sour cherry. Needs 20 years. Or maybe 24 hours aeration might help.

2004 vintage

Delivers - as always.

2016 vintage

Very nice. Pure cherry fruit under a layer of spice and herbs. Lively acid and mellow tannins. Enjoyable in every way.

2016 vintage

Wonderful. My last bottle. Shoooooooooooot.

2012 vintage

Great QPR wine for cellaring

2016 vintage

Sewer water. Flawed.

2016 vintage

Consistently excellent wine. Great now, in five and 10 years.

2016 vintage

Very simply stated, this is delicious! Pnp and ready to go. Glad to have half a case on the way.

2016 vintage

Glorious prime aged Rioja. Out of magnum, with a decade or two of life left in it, but showing classic secondary qualities in full flower now.

2004 vintage

A wonderful Rioja that I've had a number of times and I always enjoy. red fruit plum vanilla oak cinnamon dill

2016 vintage

Medium garnet, pronounced, vanilla, blueberry, dark cherry, raisin, dark plum, forest floor, earth, fig, tar, wet stones. High acid, med+/high tannins, full body, long finish. Drink or hold.

2012 vintage

Awesome

2012 vintage

Fabulous wine.

2012 vintage

Superb Rioja , great value , shared with my wife . Midsummerevening bbq

2016 vintage

Ripe red cherries, fresh and minerally with some earthiness, a silky texture and good length. Early in the prime window. An excellent wine for the price.

2016 vintage

An excellent rioja. I particularly liked the oak in this bottle - not just a kiss but very assertive in a very enjoyable way.

2016 vintage

It's ready for business! Long finish with similar notes to a bourbon! (less the sweet vanilla) Edit: started to go downhill after 3 hours in the decanter

2016 vintage

This bottle was not corked like my other. So glad. Same notes as before.

2012 vintage

Ruby read with brownish border. Mature on the nose, hint of leather and tobacco. Well rounded tannins, balanced with acidity and fruit. Some red fruit, herbs, and a note of vanilla on the finish. No dill?

2012 vintage

Great.. per my last note. Saving half for tomorrow…but with difficulty. Rather special.

2012 vintage

Still very young with primary fruit and sweet oak. Just an unbelievable value. Will wait for 2028 to open the next one.

2012 vintage

Medium garnet. Pronounced nose of fresh raspberry, red cherry, menthol, coconut, cedar, vanilla, earth, leather, tobacco and mushroom - developing and very elegant. Dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ grippy tannins, high alcohol, medium+ body, pronounced long finish. Drinking beautifully with lots of time in hand

2012 vintage

The colour is as fresh as the last bottle we had about 10 years ago and it's still quite fresh on the palate for a 21 year old wine. It was quite oaky 10 years ago and I remember being a little disappointed. Not so now - the oak has mellowed and well-balanced, with red and black fruit on the palate, along with baking spices. It's not on the level of the 904 served immediately before it, but still a …

2004 vintage

Wow! A wine with marvelous depth at its current age, mildly low acid and a medium-long finish, with moderate tannins appearing towards the end of an otherwise nicely integrated wine. Aromas and palate were a cascade of: blackberries turning to Damson plums, cloves, black pepper, and gentle smokiness/bacon fat. Again, just wonderful depth! Shared a bottle of this 2012 vintage on my Dad's 60th five years ago, and same 2012 vintage today on his 65th. This year's bottle wins, lol.

2012 vintage

This still has years in it. Lovely soft fruit fruit on opening. Evolved over five hours. Vanilla from the oak coming through later; then later still bright crunchy recurrent, even a Nebbiolo quality. I have one other bottle that I will decant for a good few hours and drink very slowly.

2012 vintage

Notes of licorice, menthol, eucalyptus, cassis, dark cherries, some floral notes, touch of smoke, leather, some graphite. With more air, also some cedar wood. Medium-full bodied, with medium+ acidity and some medium + tannin. Good length. In a perfect spot now.

2012 vintage

Excelente vinho. Corpo médio. Aromas ricos. Boa safra. Taninos equilibrados. Excelente paladar.

2012 vintage

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La Rioja Alta, Vina Ardanza Reserva, Rioja

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