- Colour Red
- Producer La Rioja Alta
- Region Rioja
- Grape Tempranillo
- Drinking 2017 - 2024
- Case size 12x75cl
- Available Now
2008 - Viña Ardanza Reserva La Rioja Alta - 12x75cl
- Colour Red
- Producer La Rioja Alta
- Region Rioja
- Grape Tempranillo
- Drinking 2017 - 2024
- Case size 12x75cl
- Available Now
Select pricing type
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Goedhuis, July 2017
A splash of 20% juicy Garnacha is in this blend along with the king of Rioja’s grapes, Tempranillo. Expert winemaking from the team at La Rioja Alta has crafted this wine, guiding it through extensive barrel ageing. The nose shows such an appealing array of soft red fruits, vanilla, and leather. A savoury palate contains powdery fine tannins and fresh acidity, with medium weight and perfectly pitched alcohol richness (13.5%). It evolves from the moment you pour it, and is a compelling accompaniment to food.
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Robert Parker, August 2016, Score: 93/100
Vintages for Viña Ardanza seem to be going fast. It seems like yesterday that the 2001 was released and now the 2008 Viña Ardanza is already here. This is the first vintage when they have been able to use the fruit from their new Garnacha vineyards in the village of Tudelilla (Rioja Baja), La Pedriza, which represents 20% of the blend complementing the majority of Tempranillo. The wine was put in barrel in March 2009, separately; the Tempranillo was in four-year-old barrels for 36 months with six rackings, and the Garnacha in second and third use barrels for 30 months with five rackings. Vintages might go fast, but the wine does not feel too young, which was my fear. There are notes of stewed meat, cured leather, cloves, other spices and an overall balsamic character. The palate feels solid, consistent, nicely built, with abundant tannins and good balancing acidity. This should stand up to food and be able to develop in bottle. 93/100. Drink 2017 - 2023
Producer
La Rioja Alta
When it comes to traditional style Rioja, La Rioja Alta remains the benchmark. Established in 1890 by Don Alfredo Ardanza, the estate has been producing beautifully crafted wines for over 125 years, maintaining the traditional winemaking practices that helped them earn their reputation as one of the finest producers in the region. At La Rioja Alta, every wine is produced with tremendous attention to detail. From racking by candlelight to employing an in-house master cooper, the estate monitors each barrel on an individual basis, ensuring intricacy and balance throughout the winemaking process. La Rioja Alta owns all 420 hectares of its vineyards, which is unusual for a bodega of such prominence, yet it allows head winemaker Julio Sáenz to have complete viticultural control, guaranteeing the quality of fruit. Named after its three founding families – Alberdi, Arana, and Ardanza – who are all still shareholders to this day, the estate is renowned for its Reserva wines. The pinnacle of Rioja winemaking however can be found in their two Gran Reservas – 890 and 904 – which both pay homage to the creation of La Rioja Alta (1890) and the year Don Alfredo added his own Ardanza winery to the bodega (1904). Only produced in exceptional years, and released after lengthy ageing in oak and bottle, the wines are classical Rioja with rich fruit and spice. Winemaking at its very best, it comes as no surprise that each new release is readily snapped up.
Region
Rioja
By the far the best known of Spain's wine regions is Rioja, which takes its name from the rio(river) Oja, a tributary of the river Ebro. Lying in the north of the country, along the Ebro valley, the area is sheltered from rain-bearing Atlantic winds by the dramatic Sierra de Cantabria to the north and west. The hilly vineyards are interspersed with orchards, poplars and eucalyptus trees. Rioja is further divided into three sub-regions - Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. The first two are best regarded, with vines planted on cool slopes with clay and limestone soils. The permitted grape varieties for Rioja are tempranillo, which is grown extensively in Rioja Alta and Alavesa and will form the backbone of all the best wines, garnacha, widespread in Rioja Baja and used to add body to the blend, and mazuelo (carignan) and graciano, both grown in miniscule proportions. The key to understanding Rioja is the technique used to mature the wine. Unlike most other areas of Europe, American oak barrels are used which give the wines their characteristic soft vanilla, almost coconuty flavour. Historically the wines were aged for periods far longer than legally required, until all the fruit character had died down and the end result was a light, tawny-coloured wine dominated by oak flavours. Although there are still supporters of this classic style, far more producers are making wines in a more modern way, allowing the dark berry fruit flavours to burst through balanced by a more judicious use of oak ageing and often opting for French oak now.
