La Rioja Alta have released the 2019 vintage of their much-loved Viña Ardanza Rioja Reserva this morning, and it's an absolute corker.  Tasting it, we were reminded of every previous great vintage, and of why we loved this wine from the first time we tasted it, in the early '90s.  We suggest grabbing this offer with both hands, excellent value as always at just £240 per dozen in bond.

One of the most reliable performers, Ardanza Reserva receives total ageing as long as many Gran Reservas from other Bodegas and easily competes with them, doubly so in a top vintage like this one.  2019 is considered to be amongst the top three vintages of this century, alongside 2001 and 2015, with balance and freshness being the defining characteristics of this new release. When Ardanza was first made back in 1942, it was labelled as a ‘Burgundy style wine’ and put in the now famous Burgundy bottle.

The 2019 shows all the elegance and finesse for which Ardanza is renowned. We found exotic notes of vanilla and coconut from the American oak, balanced by fresh, herbal, spice and floral aromas including dill, clove, and the beautifully fresh blackcurrant fruit, with some crushed-rock mineral character too.  In the words of winemaker Julio Sáenz “An exceptional vintage, one of the best in our history, concluding an extraordinary decade for Viña Ardanza. This wine offers great complexity and aging potential. I believe it is the Viña Ardanza that will improve the most in the coming years.”  

A blend of over 30-year-old Tempranillo (80%) grown on steep high altitude clay-limestone soils in La Cuesta (Fuenmayor) and Montecillo (Cenicero), and 17-year-old Garnacha (20%) grown at 550 metres above sea-level in deep pebble-rich terrains in La Pedriza (Tudelilla-Rioja Oriental). The grapes are cluster selected and hand-harvested before being optically sorted before fermentation which lasts 17 days, followed by a natural malolactic fermentation. The Tempranillo is aged for 36 months and the Garnacha for 30 months in seasoned American oak barrels made in their own cooperage. They were traditionally racked by candlelight 5 times before being bottled in December 2023.

Offered en primeur, available for delivery by June 2025.