La Rioja Alta

Viña Ardanza Reserva

2017
Rioja
Spain
Say It
La Ree-YO-ha AL-ta VEE-na An-DANT-sa Ree-SER-va
Varietals
Tempranillo, Garnacha
$45
Flavors
Blackberry Blackberry
Spice Box Spice Box
Coconut Coconut
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Palate Character

Balance & Finesse 2 Rich & Full 2 Light & Bright 2 Smooth & Silky 2 Round & Fleshy 2 Tone & Backbone 2 Powerful & Extracted 1 Bright & Crisp 2
Powerful & Extracted
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Tasting Notes
Full-bodied with slight residual sugar, plus acidity with pronounced tannin, this wine explodes with flavors and aromas of blackberry, eucalyptus, and leather, with more subtle notes of red fruit and smoke, finishing lengthtily with complex flavors of spice box, balsamic, and coconut.
COLOR
Red/Violet Tinge
BODY
TANNIN
ACIDITY
SWEET
ALCOH.
14.5%
GRAPE(S)
Tempranillo, Garnacha
Learn More
Why this wine made the cut…
Bonkers flavors and aromas, a hedonistic gem.
Rioja
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Tempranillo
80% Tem-pra-NEE-yo
Tempranillo is the most planted red grape variety in Spain and is also responsible for some of its best wines. The grape yields medium to full-bodied, mostly Tone & Backbone red wines of moderate to high levels of tannins and acidity. Flavor wise, it shows a mix of red and dark fruits, including cherry and plum, as well as leather, tobacco, with herbal and spice notes.
Garnacha
20% Gar-NATCH-a
Grenache is widely planted throughout the world but some of the best expressions come from the southern Rhone, and in Spain’s Priorat. Grenache has small berries with thick grape skins resulting in dark, tannic wine in its youth combined with an almost ripe sweetness and elevated alcohol. Often part of a blend, Grenache offers a lot of fruit, spice, with floral and herbal notes.
Country / State
Spain
Region
Rioja
Producer
La Rioja Alta
Winemaker(s)
Julio Sáenz
Vintage
2017
Total Production
300,000 bottles
La Rioja Alta VineyardLa Rioja Alta Vineyard

La Rioja Alta

Rioja

La Rioja Alta makes some of the highest-quality traditional wines in Rioja. They conserve many of their wines in cask and bottle and release them late, often with several years of age. 

Harvest at La Rioja AltaHarvest at La Rioja Alta
La Rioja Alta's fermentation tanksLa Rioja Alta's fermentation tanks

La Rioja Alta does not use French oak, keeping with the tradition of larger American-oak barrels that have helped to define the unique Rioja style since the end of the 19th century. The wines are made mainly of tempranillo but, depending on the bottle, they are also blended with small amounts of mazuelo, graciano, or garnacha, all organically farmed. 

Despite extended aging, the wines have rich fruit and complex spice aromas in a structured yet refined texture.