The current vintage of one of the flagship wines from La Rioja Alta is the 2009 Vina Ardanza Reserva, the second year it has contained 20% Garnacha grapes from their estate vineyards in La Pedriza in the village ofTudelilla in Rioja Baja. The Tempranillo comes from vineyards averaging 30 years of age in Fuenmayor and Cenicero. The hand­harvested bunches were sorted and put in boxes, transferred to the winery at 14 degrees Celsius to be destemmed and crushed, then the grapes fermented in stainless steel, including malolactic. The two varieties were aged separately, 36 months in used American oak barrels for Tempranillo and 30 months for Garnacha, and racked every six months. It was initially closed, shy and serious, riper and a little darker than the 2008 but still very balanced, serious and harmonious. The palate combines power with elegance, with some tannins, focused flavors, some chalky texture and a rustic touch that gives it character. 600,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2014.
93 Points, Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate

Worldwide Exclusive Release

Medium-intensity, dark cherry-red; clean and bright. To the nose it stands out for its fresh, spicy character, with hints of sweet cherries and blackcurrant chocolate, assembled with notes of black pepper, tobacco, nutmeg, coffee, mocha and cinnamon. Pleasant and well-balanced in the mouth. Tasty, with a soft freshness, nice structure, and delicately elegant tannins. Silky finish, with a lovely aftertaste, where liqueur-like notes of cherries and blackcurrants intermingle with toasty notes and sweet spices turning this especial edition of Viña Ardanza into a fine, elegant wine.
Armit Wines