La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva 2015 is a premium Spanish red wine that showcases the best of Rioja wine-making. This complex and well-balanced wine is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes that have been aged for three years in American oak barrels and a further three years in bottle before release. This gives the wine a mature and refined character, with a beautiful balance of fruit and oak flavors.
On the nose, it exhibits a fresh and spicy aroma, with notes of sweet cherries, redcurrants, and ripe strawberries complemented by hints of black pepper, sweet liquorice, nutmeg, coffee, mocha, and cinnamon. On the palate, this wine is intense and well-balanced, with a soft freshness, delicate tannins, and a silky finish that lingers with a good aftertaste.
Vina Ardanza Reserva 2015 is a perfect pairing for roasted lamb, red meats, barbecues, large game, spicy fish casseroles, smoked and aged cheeses. It is a wine that will impress both wine enthusiasts and novices alike, and is perfect for special occasions or as a gift for a wine lover. This wine is ready to drink now, but it can also be cellared for several years to come to develop further complexity and depth.
Critic Ratings
James Suckling Review - Rated 96:
A rich nose of raspberry, crushed strawberry, blueberry, coconut, cedar and sweet spice. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins and fresh acidity. Creamy, balanced and layered with vibrant, spicy character. Long and polished.
Wine Spectator Review - Rated 91:
This smooth red has a balsamic undertone, with dried cherry, herb, tobacco and anise notes mixed with sanguine and woodsy details. A refined, traditional style red. Drink now through 2030.
Robert Parker Wine Advocate Review - Rated 94:
I tasted two vintages of their sleek and polished blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha, the oldest of which is the 2015 Viña Ardanza Reserva. It's a blend of 78% Tempranillo and 22% Garnacha (because they found that they needed a little more volume in the wine) from a powerful, warm and ripe year, very interesting to compare with the 2016. They consider 2015 a very good vintage; they compare it with 2001, a year when they produced all the wines. There are three wines from 2015, and there is something in common in all thee wines. The grapes were picked in mid-October and put through optical sorting to ferment followed by malolactic until the end of the year. The wine matured in used American oak barrels—the Tempranillo for 36 months with six manual rackings and the Garnacha for 30 months with five rackings.
