Staff Pick

La Rioja Alta, Viña Ardanza Reserva - 2017

Name: La Rioja Alta, Viña Ardanza Reserva
Brand: La Rioja Alta
SKU: 31379
Price: 36.97 USD
Availability: InStock

Item # 31379 750 mL

The Ardanza bottling is made of two grapes: 78% Tempranillo (30 year old) and Garnacha. The grapes were hand-harvested and then fermented spontaneously and then select wines were put into barrels to be aged separately for 3 years. Aged in American oak with an avereage age of 4 years.

$36.97/ Single Bottle

$443.64/ Case of 12

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Color

Red

Vintage

2017

Country

Spain

Region

Rioja

Producer

La Rioja Alta

Grape Variety

Tempranillo

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Staff Pick Notes

If you are into robust, Old World wines and have never tasted this bottling from La Rioja Alta, then what are you waiting for? One fun fact about this wine - it is NOT produced in every vintage if the grapes do not meet the rigorous standards of the producer, so don't look for the 2006 vintage! The nose is more savory than fruity, showing notes of dill, tobacco, and vanilla. On the palate the tannins feel more like velvet than gravel. You can pair this classic Rioja wine with grilled meats and Spanish cheeses. It also works wonders with a roast beef sandwich from the corner deli.

- BLR

Glossary

Spain

Central to the Spanish winemaking philosophy is the belief that wine should be released only when it is ready to be consumed, and not a moment before. Spanish wine law focuses squarely on this issue: the terms Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are highly regulated indicators of the amount of time a wine has aged prior to its release. In Rioja, Navarra, and the Ribera del Duero (which have the most stringent requirements) red Crianzas must be aged a minimum of two years; Reservas, at least three...

Tempranillo

A.k.a. Cencibel. Just about synonymous with Spanish wine, the red Tempranillo grape has now fully won over the hearts and minds of critics and amateur oenophiles all over the world. The best bottles are powerful and ageworthy, and are beginning to fetch prices you'd never have expected from Spanish wines just a few years ago. Tempranillo is often used in blends with Bordeaux grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and has lately been grown with considerable success outside of Spain, in...

Rioja

The origin of Spanish winemaking, Rioja has been the benchmark for Spanish wines in the international market for over two hundred years, and remains so to this day. Tempranillo is the star of the red wines here, though its expression can vary wildly from producer to producer. Traditionally-styled Riojas tend to be subtle and soft, and often have high levels of acidity to ensure their survival through the lengthy ageing process. The more modern producers are making powerful, dark,...