Wine Advisor
La Rioja Alta, Vina Ardanza Reserva 2012
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Bright ruby-red. Vibrant, spice- and mineral-accented scents of fresh red fruits, succulent herbs and spicecake are complemented by an emerging floral overtone. Juicy and pliant in the mouth, offering gently sweet raspberry, cherry cola, spicecake and rose pastille flavors that deepen steadily on the back half. In an energetic style, showing fine clarity and silky tannins that frame a long, smooth finish.
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Garnacha is an important component in the 2012 Viña Ardanza Reserva, where it represents 20% of the blend (the rest is, of course, Tempranillo). 2011 was a difficult vintage for Garnacha, so Viña Ardanza was not produced that year and they jumped from 2010, which had the mention "Selección Especial," to 2012, where it returns to the regular Reserva. The wine is a prototype of polished and aged Rioja with a ruby color with some orange and a developed nose with subtle aromas of decayed leaves, sweet spices and some cherries in liqueur even, quite complex and harmonious. The palate is velvety but rich, with resolved tannins and a fine chalky mouthfeel, sleek and elegant, terribly balanced. The flavors are pure and defined, and there is an overall sense of harmony that I like very much. Brilliant Ardanza! They produced no less than 600,000 bottles of this wine, which is remarkable. It has been in bottle since March 2016, so it's very approachable but should also age nicely in bottle. Drink or keep.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Bright ruby-red. Vibrant, spice- and mineral-accented scents of fresh red fruits, succulent herbs and spicecake are complemented by an emerging floral overtone. Juicy and pliant in the mouth, offering gently sweet raspberry, cherry cola, spicecake and rose pastille flavors that deepen steadily on the back half. In an energetic style, showing fine clarity and silky tannins that frame a long, smooth finish.
About the Producer
La Rioja Alta S.A. is located in the Rioja wine region of Spain. Rioja is the earliest and largest high-quality wine producing area in Spain. It has the reputation of "Spain Bordeaux" and has many Spanish boutique wineries. This winery is one of the best representatives. The winery is now part of Grupo La Rioja Alta S.A. With the popularity of European wines and American wines, various wine exhibitions and wine critic competitions have become popular internationally, and Oak River Winery has also participated and achieved quite good results. In 1893, the winery won the gold medal at the Chicago Columbus Wine Show; in 1895, the winery won the silver medal at the Bordeaux World Wine Show; in 1910 and 1911, it won the Buenos Aires and Toulouse Wine Show Awards. But after winning a gold medal at the Latin American Wine Show in 1930, the winery announced that it would no longer participate in any wine shows or wine critic competitions, because they no longer needed to make wine for any awards, they needed to make real wine. Although it did not win international awards, its good reputation continued to spread. In the following 10 years, the winery has become famous and quickly became the top wine in Rioja, Spain. One of the Spanish wine brands.
