96 points “A rich nose of raspberry crushed strawberry blueberry coconut cedar and sweet spice. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins and fresh acidity. Creamy balanced and layered with vibrant spicy character. Long and polished.” – James Suckling
94 points “Deep magenta. An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe black raspberry cherry cola potpourri tobacco and exotic spices plus a smoky mineral flourish. Sweet and broad in the mouth offering lush red and blue fruit spice cake mocha and coconut flavours that firm up on the back half. Finishes extremely long and spicy with resonating florality gently chewy tannins and lingering oak spice notes.” – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous Media
94 points “One of two vintages of Ardanza that are currently on the market the 2015 is a cuvée of Tempranillo from Fuenmayor and Cenicero and 20% Garnacha from high altitude Tudelilla in the Rioja Oriental. Savoury and aromatic with a slight animal note this has raspberry and wild strawberry fruit scented oak and sweet baking spices.” – Tim Atkin MW
This is a very sophisticated bottle of Rioja Reserva. It’s crafted from Tempranillo (78%) picked from 30-year-old vines and Grenache (22%) grown at high altitude. Aged for around three years in oak the wines from the two grapes were combined to create an elegant blend of cassis fresh cherries coffee plum crumble chocolate orange flat white Christmas spices balsamic leather and pipe tobacco. A timeless wine with serious style and perfect for the Sunday roast.
And at its price point it’s hard to disagree with the following assertions from the critics:
“Viña Ardanza from La Rioja Alta is one of Rioja’s great value wines.” – Jamie Goode
“Viña Ardanza Reserva from La Rioja Alta is no secret and its reputation precedes it yet its price remains entirely affordable – especially compared with equivalent-scoring reds from Bordeaux Burgundy Tuscany California Australia et al.” – Richard Hemming MW
Formed in 1890 by three families – the Ardanzas the Aranas and the Alberdis – La Rioja Alta sets the benchmark for the entire Rioja region. They're famed for their classic Spanish reds which are aged for an inordinately long time in American oak barrels lovingly made by their own cooper. This wonderfully traditional producer still carries out its racking (the process of moving wine between barrels to remove the sediment) by hand and candlelight the old-school way. The style of the wine dedicated to the Ardanza family is softer than most Rioja influenced more by Burgundy than by Bordeaux as the bottle shape suggests.
SKU No.: 3544309
Style No.: 909120
Region: Rioja
Grapes: Tempranillo,Grenache
Closure: Cork
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 14.5%
Volume: 750ml
Allergens: Sulphites