Community Tasting Note

• fc1910 Likes this wine: 93 points

  May 20, 2020 - As you might know if you sometimes read my TN´s I got a problem with the change of style at La RIoja, most of the bodegas and LRA is no exception unfortunately have changed their bottlings to an more easy going more tasty driven fruit style young,
  same with the 904 I tasted some time ago, so when I glanced on the label there are again this 13,5% ABV, which normally indicates a warm, fullbodied red from Haro,
  this is the fourth vintage labeled as an Especial, following 64,73 and 2001, so there are expectations..........
  being curious purchased one bottle and now pnp,
  NO fruit driven nose, more balsamic, tertiary and red fruit in the background, meat,
  initially biting acid, a surprise for me, this one is not easy going on the palate, should have decanted for a while,
  very savoury cherry fruit, still a little unbalanced acid following, the tannin punches back, clean and expressive, what the hell?
  My prejudice about the fruit bombs from La Rioja and elsewhere is wrong this time for sure, the 13,5% alc is totally covered by the punching acidity, all components tigth, very fresh and with enormous tension,
  lingering finish, I am really surprised by this one, again a vintage and bottled liquid for the next decade(s)!
  And this is a bargain, around 20(+)€ per bottle in the old world, will try to find some magnums for cellaring! Highly recommended! *(***-*****), 93- 95(+) potential
  
  5/21/2020: last third of the bottle, more balanced showing now, the fruit savoury still, and meaty as meaty can be, in a very good way, multilayered, no aromas of oxidation, supporting lively acid, will mature gracefully for about two decades for sure!

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7 Comments

• Los 12 Glotones commented:

  5/21/20, 1:05 AM - Moin! Estoy de acuerdo contigo. Para mí es un vino con potencial aunque ahora crudo, todavía por desarrollarse. Más fino y ligero de lo que solía ser habitualmente un Ardanza de décadas atrás y menos compacto - fruit bomb- que las últimas añadas. En este sentido te recomiendo que hagas acopio de algunas botellas del Ardanza 2009. Me parece un vino de factura muy clásica, equilibrado, muy riojano. 2009-10-11 son grandes cosechas, como ya paso en 1994-95-96. Pero creo que la que va a dejar los mejores vinos es 2009.

• Rallerboy888 commented:

  5/21/20, 5:56 AM - Nice review! What is the aging potential in regular format, do you think?

• fc1910 commented:

  5/21/20, 6:32 AM - Hola a Bilbao,
  gracias para tu comentario!
  Esta cosecha no he probado hasta hoy, es porque el estilo de LRA es differente desde mas o menos diez anos.
  Pero la gente viven y aprenden, como yo! ;-)
  Me voy a compra una botella de la cosecha 09 para probarlo.......
  un abrazo desde hamburgo

• fc1910 commented:

  5/21/20, 6:48 AM - Hi Rallerboy888,
  not really exactly sure, but the whole showing indicates at least two decades, in Magnums a decade more,
  I have tried a lot of old reservas (a lot for non peninsula inhabitants), so if the acid frame, or call it backbone is very strong like in this bottling, i am very optimistic,
  would say two decades for sure, my last 2001 was not open yet without decant, and there are some magnums of this vintage Ardanza, 904 and 890 in my cellar,
  so watch out for bottles of these if there are offered in auctions somtimes!
  Thanks to harley1199 and los12 glotones for widening my La Rioja horizon!
  Cheers from Hamburg

• Los 12 Glotones commented:

  5/21/20, 9:16 AM - Right, you can easily cellar this Ardanza for next 20 years and I'm sure it will have already reached its peak but it's less than former Ardanzas. 1981 is currently terrific and hope it will be there for next 10 to 15 years. It means more than half a century.

• macaujames commented:

  5/23/20, 9:53 AM - This is indeed a great wine! Thanks for your succinct and informative tasting note! Bravo!

• fc1910 commented:

  5/23/20, 11:34 AM - Yes, indeed!
  recommended! Pack a part of your wine cellar full with this bottled liquid................. ;-)

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