2016 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Rioja Spain

Winemaker Notes
Intense garnet red color, with a clear rim. Outstanding aromatic intensity on the nose, with spicy and balsamic licorice, clove, nutmeg and black pepper notes, enveloping a subtle hint of ripe red fruit: brandied cherry and raspberry jam. The palate is well-balanced, fresh, with a broad range of flavors and soft, round tannins, leading to a spicy, balsam-like aftertaste on the finish. A Viña Ardanza in its prime and with a long life ahead of it.

Press

Rated 95 Points James Suckling
Savory and complex with dried orange peel, cedar and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms and pine needles. Shows maturity here, with a medium body and superb freshness. Incredibly long finish with lots of truffle and walnut. Lasts over a minute. Very complete now, but you can still hold it.

Rated 94 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Viña Ardanza Reserva was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha that matured in used American oak barrels for three years, where it was hand-racked from barrel to barrel six times in the case of Tempranillo and five times for the Garnacha, as it had a slightly shorter élevage of 30 months. Against all odds, I found the 2016 to be fresher than the 2015 and less developed, despite the fact that winemaker Julio Sáenz told me he considers it a warmer year. But I have found many wines I like in 2016, and the wine feels very clean and quite harmonious, younger and less developed, with more primary notes and a velvety mouthfeel.