La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Rioja 2019 (750ml)

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Producer	La Rioja Alta
Country	Spain
Region	Rioja
Varietal	Tempranillo
Vintage	2019
Sku	00293
Size	750ml

 

WA

94

JS

96

The La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Rioja appears a bright and vivid cherry red color with a medium-high intensity, garnet rim. Aromas of redcurrant, plum, and cherry, complemented by balsamic and spicy notes of black pepper, licorice, vanilla, clove, and nutmeg. Fresh and balanced on the palate, with sweet, elegant tannins and a long, lively finish, reflecting the wine’s distinctive balsamic and spicy character.

Enjoy with roast lamb, red meats, barbecues, large game, spicy fish casseroles, smoked and aged cheeses.

The Tempranillo (80%) comes from 30-year-old vines in our Cuesta (Cenicero) and Montecillo (Fuenmayor) vineyards. The Garnacha (20%) is from La Pedriza in Tudelilla, Rioja Oriental, a 40-hectare estate with unbeatable conditions for growing this variety.

Hand-picked in boxes with a first cluster selection in the vineyard. Garnacha was harvested  two weeks later. After optical sorting, fermentation lasted 17 days, followed by natural malolactic fermentation. Aged in American oak barrels from our cooperage: 36 months for Tempranillo and 30 months for Garnacha (20% new barrels). Traditional manual racking by candlelight (5 times).

The 2019 Vina Ardanza is a highly impressive, full-bodied blend of 80% older-vine Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from two different parts of Rioja grown at the same altitude. The producer’s own American oak was used to age the Tempranillo 36 months and the Garnacha 30 months, 20% new. The fruity nose of black cherry and plum complements beautifully against Garnacha’s seductively spicy texture and mouthfeel. It’s lively, complex, and lengthy, with melty tannins.

No 2018 was produced, so after the 2017 I tasted last year, we jumped to the 2019 Viña Ardanza Reserva, produced with a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha. It fermented destemmed in stainless steel and aged in American oak barrels, 36 months for the Tempranillo and 30 months for Garnacha, and was blended before bottling. 2019 is a very good year for them, a small crop of powerful and concentrated wines when they produced all their brands, an exception. This is spicy, structured, balanced and powerful in this warm year, reaching the customary 14.5% alcohol and keeping a pH of 3.54 and 5.5 grams of acidity. It's still very young and undeveloped, with the classical profile, generous in American oak aromas and flavors that should slowly integrate in the wine with years in bottle. For them, 2019 means a change in Ardanza, less spicy (but still quite spicy, with clove, vanilla and tobacco leaves) and with more fresh fruit from the Garnacha. But the year is a modern version of 2015. 500,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2023. No 2023 or 2024 will be produced either. Anticipated Maturity: 2025-2038