2001 Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial
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Tasting notes
La Rioja Alta only bottles the Reserva Especial Viña Ardanza in exceptional vintages, with only three releases since 1950: 1964, 1973 and the latest, 2001. The 2001 Reserve Especial Viña Ardanza is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha sourced from Rioja Alta, aged for 36 months in American oak barrels. Displaying a garnet hue with a brick sheen, the tertiary aromas evoke wormwood and vermouth-like scents, complemented by notes of wax, leather and dates. On the palate, it is dry, silky and nimble, with an ethereal quality that lingers lightly. This delicate and complex old-school Rioja is a must-have for every collector's cellar.
Critic scores
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Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Bottled September 2005. Third Reserva Especial in history. 80% Tempranillo (aged in four-year-old American oak for 36 months) and 20% Garnacha (aged in 2- to 3-year-old American oak for 30 months). Best vintage ever, according to the winemaker, with a long ripening season. Deep, rich nose with cooked blackberry and spice, and still very youthful freshness to the fruit. Tremendous vanilla cream on the finish. Long, subtle, elegant. (RH)
A lovely mature wine, but I'm a bit worried about the list of wares and prices sent to me by Oddbins did not specify this particular vintage. Lively ruby. Juicy and round and a bit wild and furry but this is rioja! Nervy too. Briary and broad. Almost blowsy. (JR)
The 2001 Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from their vineyards in Fuenmayor and Rioja Baja respectively and it represents only the third vintage to be declared after 1964 and 1973. Aged in American cask for 36 months, it has a bucolic, natural bouquet of bright red cherries, balsamic, mint and a touch of dried honey all with superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful delineation and supple, lithe tannins. The acidity is very well judged and it leads to a pert, tense finish of bitter cherry, loganberry and licorice. This is an outstanding wine drinking perfectly now, but it should age effortlessly. Drink now-2030. La Rioja Alta formed part of my “classic Rioja” day that included Lopez de Heredia and Muga, the triumvirate of wineries in Haro all but a minute’s stroll from each other (which would have been fine, but for the spontaneous downpours). I have admired their wines for many years, Rioja that speaks so eloquently and with such clarity of their place. La Rioja Alta was founded in the town of Haro in 1890. They own 450 hectares of vineyard from which their entire portfolio is sourced, predominantly Tempranillo complemented by Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Another tenet is their use of American rather than French oak. The wood is cured for two years outdoors before being shaped and hammered into barrels at their own cooperage. Although the estate owns vines in Ribera del Duero and Rias Baixas (to be covered in later reports) I focused upon recent releases from their two Rioja lines: Torre de Ona and of course, La Rioja Alta itself. Quite simply, these are some of the finest Riojas that can grace your cellar: complex, refined, classic but without compromising fruit intensity and to reiterate: wines that speak about where they come from. Importer: various importers in the US, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300; Southern Wine & Spirits, www.southernwine.com, and The Country Vintner, Oilville, VA; tel. (800) 365-9463
About the producer
Based in Haro, La Rioja Alta is one of Rioja’s most famous, traditional wine producers – alongside the likes of López de Heredia, Muga and CVNE.