Nose: Expressive right on opening with prunes, black cherry jam, dill and slight leather notes. Surprisingly lively for such an old bottle!
Palate: Lovely fresh acidity, very fine and integrated - but present - tannins. Light-to-medium body. A touch of cherries and plums that quickly fade away, followed by dill, fresh herbs and leather on the mid-palate. Everything is integrated and seamless. Delicate but persistent finish of sour-cherry jam and dill.
Althought its best days are gone, it's still alive with a tiny bit of fruit, lots of fresh herbs and good balance.
If you have some of this lovely wine left in your cellar, it's time to drink it up!
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All wine, no poker, Vol. 2 (Needham, Mass.): Thanks to Phillip: Everybody tasting this remarked on the strong dill flavor. This is a 27-year old wine that still seems young, though it already provides a lot of pleasure -- structure and acidity and an intensity of flavor without fruitiness. It has a very healthy body mass index.
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Brick-ish color, not terribly dark. Honey wax, church incense, black pepper, overripe sour fruit in the smell. Long legs in the glass. Weirdly smooth mouthfeel. A sweet-and-sour sensation. Still fairly freshly fruity, though. A fruit candy finish. Interesting, complex, unexpected.
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A tapas and wine evening in a fine spanish restaurant: popped, decanted and poured in our glasses, this bottle has intense flavours from the oak, coffee, chocolate, some spices, still vibrating acidity, therefore crunchy, still young, red currant, a complex midweight body, subtle, fine and long aftertaste, still for the long run, **(**?), 90- 92+?
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Muy intenso, complejo. Tiene todo lo que se le puede pedir a un buen Ardanza "joven": tabaco de pipa, ebanistería, fruta roja en confitura, escarchados, pieles de naranja y un fondo de cacao en polvo, café aromático, ligeramente tostado. Abierto, expresivo, perfilado, sin haber comenzado a dar ni siquiera los primeros síntomas de reducción. Estamos ante un vino que promete tener un largo recorrido en botella.
Vigoroso, fresco, sabroso, lleno de fruta roja madura y unos taninos grasos, redondos. Todo él es equilibrio y empuje. Mantiene una intensa acidez y un nervio poco habitual. Un muy buen Ardanza que aún tiene que ir a más, a mucho más. Estos vinos del 96 no paran de deparar alegrías y siguen habituándose poco a poco a la botella. Nada tienen que envidiar a las célebres cosechas de 94 y 95. Hay que darle tiempo para que vaya creciendo con los años. En la línea de los mejores clásicos de la bodega. Un hallazgo!!!
-E-L-S - 1-2 - G-O-L-A-F-R-E-S - W-I-N-E - T-A-S-T-I-N-G - G-R-O-U-P - - - - - - - - - - Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 75% tempranillo, 25% garnacha - 13.3% vol. La garnacha procede de viñedos ubicados en Tudelilla y el resto de uvas son originarias de la finca Viña Ardanza de Montecillo y de pequeños productores de las localidades de Haro, Briñas, Briones, Villalba y Labastida. Realiza la primera fermentación en depósitos de acero inoxidable. Es trasegado a barricas de roble americano de 225 litros en abril de 1997. Criado durante 40 meses, con un total de 2 trasiegas manuales cada año. Embotellado en julio de 2000. Un mínimo de 24 meses de guarda en botellero antes de ser comercializado. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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an evening on the terraces with Tapas and other fine spanish dishes at one of the best spanish restaurants at Hamburg, meson Galicia: served in carafe, matured colour, a shining brick red, fine nose of mocha, cafe, chocolate, a little redcurrant, spices, on the palate well structured, in the foreground chocolate, cafe, spicy, some earthy tones, litttle fruit, cherry, redcurrant, elegant midweight body, long+ aftertaste with tangible acid, a lot more years to go for this Reserva, very good company to all this fine spanish dishes like pimientos, raxo, fabada, conejo, carne de cordero and even chipirones and gambas en salsa picante......, in two words: very good! 90-92+?
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I found this wine to be disappointing. It still has a remarkable, complex nose, dominated by that beautiful Rioja oak and vanilla, along with some leaf and citrus aromas. The color is lighter than I expected, and the wine reflects this: very light for a Rioja. Whatever fruit this wine possessed seems to have faded, and the taste is now dominated by oak and mineral flavors. There is a high degree of acidity here, and without fruit to balance it, I found this to be distracting. Still has a fairly long finish, but I feel this wine has passed its peak some time ago. If you have any of this in your cellar, I'd drink it now.
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This is one of those wines that smells so good you don’t want to rush tasting it. It’s bursting with aged rioja scents of dried citrus peel, dried lilac, chamomile, and cherries. This bottle isn’t as tasty compared to the last one I had 6months ago. The fruit is pretty well faded but even still there is silkiness to the wine that is very attractive. Good smack of sour cherry acidity finishes it off. Works quite well with pork tacos, rice and beans.
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Very pretty with brick dust and sour cherries. Unlike others, I'd say this was bordering on mature based on my experience with 30+ yr old Riojas. Delightful with a meatloaf composed of beef w/ rabbit livers, studded w/ rabbit rillets and topped w/ pesto.
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Aged 36 months in cask and 24 months in bottle. Top of the line reserva from La Rioja Alta (Vina Arana, then Vina Alberdi follow). Dark red color, nearly purple. Very intense aged rioja aromas of dried lilac, orange peel, and a bit of forest floor. Plenty of fruit left in the flavor. Well balanced with acidity and integrating tannins. This will easily hold and maybe even improve for 5 more years.
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An insane deal on WC ($16/bottle). Textbook aged Rioja. Utterly peaking. Explosive, complex nose, with oak and red berries all mixed. Juicy, gripping mouthfeel, terrific acidity. Super long finish, even had taste flashbacks the next day.
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3/23/2024 - Poulp13 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Eye: A shiny brick-red.
Nose: Expressive right on opening with prunes, black cherry jam, dill and slight leather notes. Surprisingly lively for such an old bottle!
Palate: Lovely fresh acidity, very fine and integrated - but present - tannins. Light-to-medium body.
A touch of cherries and plums that quickly fade away, followed by dill, fresh herbs and leather on the mid-palate. Everything is integrated and seamless.
Delicate but persistent finish of sour-cherry jam and dill.
Althought its best days are gone, it's still alive with a tiny bit of fruit, lots of fresh herbs and good balance.
If you have some of this lovely wine left in your cellar, it's time to drink it up!
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5/22/2023 - talbot61 Likes this wine:
All wine, no poker, Vol. 2 (Needham, Mass.): Thanks to Phillip: Everybody tasting this remarked on the strong dill flavor. This is a 27-year old wine that still seems young, though it already provides a lot of pleasure -- structure and acidity and an intensity of flavor without fruitiness. It has a very healthy body mass index.
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5/12/2017 - shleepy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brick-ish color, not terribly dark. Honey wax, church incense, black pepper, overripe sour fruit in the smell. Long legs in the glass. Weirdly smooth mouthfeel. A sweet-and-sour sensation. Still fairly freshly fruity, though. A fruit candy finish. Interesting, complex, unexpected.
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12/17/2015 - fc1910 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A tapas and wine evening in a fine spanish restaurant: popped, decanted and poured in our glasses, this bottle has intense flavours from the oak, coffee, chocolate, some spices, still vibrating acidity, therefore crunchy, still young, red currant, a complex midweight body, subtle, fine and long aftertaste, still for the long run, **(**?), 90- 92+?
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6/27/2014 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 93 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/07/vina-ardanza-1996-reserva.html
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De color rubí rojizo de capa media, limpio, brillante, muy estable, sin asomo de precipitados. Reflejos cobrizos y ambarinos, borde anaranjado.
Muy intenso, complejo. Tiene todo lo que se le puede pedir a un buen Ardanza "joven": tabaco de pipa, ebanistería, fruta roja en confitura, escarchados, pieles de naranja y un fondo de cacao en polvo, café aromático, ligeramente tostado. Abierto, expresivo, perfilado, sin haber comenzado a dar ni siquiera los primeros síntomas de reducción. Estamos ante un vino que promete tener un largo recorrido en botella.
Vigoroso, fresco, sabroso, lleno de fruta roja madura y unos taninos grasos, redondos. Todo él es equilibrio y empuje. Mantiene una intensa acidez y un nervio poco habitual. Un muy buen Ardanza que aún tiene que ir a más, a mucho más. Estos vinos del 96 no paran de deparar alegrías y siguen habituándose poco a poco a la botella. Nada tienen que envidiar a las célebres cosechas de 94 y 95. Hay que darle tiempo para que vaya creciendo con los años. En la línea de los mejores clásicos de la bodega. Un hallazgo!!!
-E-L-S - 1-2 - G-O-L-A-F-R-E-S - W-I-N-E - T-A-S-T-I-N-G - G-R-O-U-P - - - - - - -
- - - Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
75% tempranillo, 25% garnacha - 13.3% vol.
La garnacha procede de viñedos ubicados en Tudelilla y el resto de uvas son originarias de la finca Viña Ardanza de Montecillo y de pequeños productores de las localidades de Haro, Briñas, Briones, Villalba y Labastida. Realiza la primera fermentación en depósitos de acero inoxidable. Es trasegado a barricas de roble americano de 225 litros en abril de 1997. Criado durante 40 meses, con un total de 2 trasiegas manuales cada año. Embotellado en julio de 2000. Un mínimo de 24 meses de guarda en botellero antes de ser comercializado.
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6/7/2014 - fc1910 Likes this wine: 91 Points
an evening on the terraces with Tapas and other fine spanish dishes at one of the best spanish restaurants at Hamburg, meson Galicia: served in carafe, matured colour, a shining brick red, fine nose of mocha, cafe, chocolate, a little redcurrant, spices, on the palate well structured, in the foreground chocolate, cafe, spicy, some earthy tones, litttle fruit, cherry, redcurrant, elegant midweight body, long+ aftertaste with tangible acid, a lot more years to go for this Reserva, very good company to all this fine spanish dishes like pimientos, raxo, fabada, conejo, carne de cordero and even chipirones and gambas en salsa picante......, in two words: very good! 90-92+?
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8/27/2012 - daver852 wrote: 86 Points
I found this wine to be disappointing. It still has a remarkable, complex nose, dominated by that beautiful Rioja oak and vanilla, along with some leaf and citrus aromas. The color is lighter than I expected, and the wine reflects this: very light for a Rioja. Whatever fruit this wine possessed seems to have faded, and the taste is now dominated by oak and mineral flavors. There is a high degree of acidity here, and without fruit to balance it, I found this to be distracting. Still has a fairly long finish, but I feel this wine has passed its peak some time ago. If you have any of this in your cellar, I'd drink it now.
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2/4/2008 - BillB656 wrote:
This is one of those wines that smells so good you don’t want to rush tasting it. It’s bursting with aged rioja scents of dried citrus peel, dried lilac, chamomile, and cherries. This bottle isn’t as tasty compared to the last one I had 6months ago. The fruit is pretty well faded but even still there is silkiness to the wine that is very attractive. Good smack of sour cherry acidity finishes it off. Works quite well with pork tacos, rice and beans.
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11/16/2007 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Very pretty with brick dust and sour cherries. Unlike others, I'd say this was bordering on mature based on my experience with 30+ yr old Riojas. Delightful with a meatloaf composed of beef w/ rabbit livers, studded w/ rabbit rillets and topped w/ pesto.
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9/16/2007 - BillB656 wrote:
Aged 36 months in cask and 24 months in bottle. Top of the line reserva from La Rioja Alta (Vina Arana, then Vina Alberdi follow). Dark red color, nearly purple. Very intense aged rioja aromas of dried lilac, orange peel, and a bit of forest floor. Plenty of fruit left in the flavor. Well balanced with acidity and integrating tannins. This will easily hold and maybe even improve for 5 more years.
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7/22/2007 - deetrane wrote: 94 Points
2nd bottle, maybe even better than the first, it that's possible. Incredible luck to find these bottles, much less at this price.
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6/12/2007 - deetrane wrote: 94 Points
An insane deal on WC ($16/bottle). Textbook aged Rioja. Utterly peaking. Explosive, complex nose, with oak and red berries all mixed. Juicy, gripping mouthfeel, terrific acidity. Super long finish, even had taste flashbacks the next day.
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