La Rioja Alta S.A. and its celebrated Gran Reserva 890 and 904 labels are woven into the fabric of Spanish culture, while Viña Ardanza Reserva remains one of the finest values in traditional fine wine.

Where many modern Rioja producers now emphasise vineyard expression, co-owner and managing director Guillermo de Aranzabal proudly keeps the bodega’s philosophy rooted in the cellar — long ageing and house style above fashion. The result is unmistakable: Tasting the 890, 904 and Ardanza always feel reassuringly familiar...like coming home, reflecting both their vintage and the enduring personality of the estate.

Ahead of the release of the 2020 Ardanza next month, we are pleased to re-offer the current trio of releases: 2019 Ardanza, 2016 Gran Reserva 904 and 2011 Gran Reserva 890 — classic vintages, ready to drink yet capable of rewarding further cellaring. 

2019 La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva

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.

2016 La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva

The 904 Gran Reserva takes its name from the 1904 merger of La Rioja Alta with Rioja Ardanza.  The blend is 90% Tempranillo, from a selection of estate-owned vineyards in Villalba, Briñas, and Rodezno with loamy, limestone soils, and 10% Graciano, from the alluvial, gravelly soils of Montecillo estate in Fuenmayor. The wine spent four years in American oak barrels, made at their own cooperage, and then bottled in May 2021 to continue ageing in bottle before release.

2016 was marked by a long and balanced growing season, with favourable weather conditions that led to a calm and steady harvest and excellent grape maturation. Abundant winter and spring rainfall ensured excellent soil water reserves with a cool spring delaying the start of the vegetative cycle. Summer was neither excessively hot or wet, which allowed for slow and uniform ripening. Mild temperatures and the absence of rain during harvest allowed for a staggered harvest of healthy grapes at their optimal ripeness. The 2016 wines exhibit vibrant acidity, fine tannins, and excellent aromatic expression, with moderate alcohol levels, ensuring great aging potential. 

2011 La Rioja Alta 890 Gran Reserva

The 890 Gran Reserva takes its name from the year in which the bodega was founded, i.e. 1890.  890 is generally seen as the benchmark for all classic gran reservas, and 2011 is a superb year, scoring 98 points from James Suckling and capable of very long ageing.

Re-tasting the 2011, we found pure, hedonistic pleasure, unmistakably an 890, reminding us of every previous vintage we have tasted. We first got to know this wine in the early '90s, tasting vintages back to the 1970s, and the heady aromas of American oak, cigar, mushroom and spicy black fruits are just as recognisable today as they were then.  

The 2011 harvest in Rioja was one of the driest in recent years, resulting in low yields of very concentrated grapes. Winter and Spring rains were well below average, reducing soil water reserves. This was followed by a dry, warm Summer but without any extreme temperature peaks, and then a dry final ripening period allowing for a relatively early harvest of extremely healthy grapes with well-ripened tannins and dark fruit. 

After six years of ageing at the bodega and further time in bottle, we found the 2011 ready to enjoy, but we think it will continue to cellar well into the 2070s! 

Offered in bond, available for delivery in March 2026.