PnP. Classic Rioja style with vibrant fruit and sweet American oak. Will add additional notes on day 2. Day 2: continuing to show vibrant fruit, with lovely oak notes and velvety tannins. There's a good structure to this wine. I'm enjoying the spice and balsamic notes, and medium plus finish. It will continue to drink well for many years, and may improve some.
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Red or slightly garnet core extending to a garnet/brick rim. Moderate color density. Slow legs.
Powerful aroma intensity where oak contribution is very substantial. Red fruits (cherry) that are baked, with vanilla, cacao, nutmeg, and molasses some of the dominant aromas I found.
This wine is medium+ to full bodied, a little less of an ‘elegant’ Rioja and more of a powerhouse with high alcohol (14%) but well balanced acidity and medium round tannins. Moderate+ flavor intensity with bruised red fruit (predominantly cherry), red licorice, vanilla, leather, and dill the dominant flavors. Long finish.
A wonderful wine to drink with food or by itself-I really enjoyed drinking this wine.
Deep violet to dark purple in the glass. On the nose crimson red cherries, tobacco spice, and plum. On the palate, it is a bit bold, but the flavor is delicious. Higher in VA than other vintages. the tannins are well-rounded and short. The finish is medium to long but quite complex. Notes of ripe plum, oak, tobacco, and tart cherry.
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Anything you want to see a Rioja reserva…but then multiplied by 10! Worth every penny. This definitely needs some air. Give it 2 hours in a decanter and pour it back in the bottle. If you don’t like this wine, there something wrong with the wine / bottle, or with you. Amazing stuff.
Quite a ripe Ardanza. Deep translucent ruby. The nose has mostly oak but some hedgerow fruit too. Palate is a bit broader than usual, more modern than classic. Ripe plum, vanilla, allspice, as well as some blueberry jam. Tannins are surprisingly soft for a 9 year old vintage, and the acidity is moderate. The finish has a decent, evolving, length and a touch of sweetness. Very pleasant and easy drinking, with a wide appeal.
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Dee red colour with a little fading at the rim. Ripe strawberry and plum with menthol and aromatic tobacco notes, Smells very ripe and even a little medicinal. Very soft tannins, fruit opulent and a little stewed, warming alcohol, walnut and tobacco. Very long. Not sure if it’s the storage , I bought this as bankrupt stock, but this seems more developed than I expected. Definitely not a legendary Ardanza like the 2010, it’s a bit fat and boozy, but as usual lots of pleasure for the money. Not sure how this will age.
[blind tasting, bracketed comments are the guesswork].
dark deep ruby with garnet rim [denoting age] and medium body. a balsamic note on the nose [Rioja alert!] gave to way to plums, leather, herbal notes and just a whiff of lavender and cedar. plummy in the mouth with cherry and strawberry notes interleaved with leather, charcuterie and herbs. hints of candied violet sweetness pop here and there against the notable tannins, and some spice leads into the finish.
lovely complex wine that is entering a long drinking window with room for improvement.
[the balsamic note made me think Rioja immediately… but in the mouth quite a bit of Grenache was speaking, which made me think Châteauneuf; the sweet and floral notes made me think American oak (Rioja) or white varietals (CdP). under the impressions these were to be monovarietals, i declared myself stumped… but guessed the age to be ~2015ish based on the colour and wine development].
turns out this Rioja is 78% Tempranillo/ 22% Garnacha…
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Ardanza 2015 & 2017 comparison (Feinkost Schneiderei Moers): Fantastic nose, full of vanilla, tanin sweetness, quite developed, however, the body shows that the wine could be aged further to be fully enjoyable. However, a fantacstic qpr. Dońt miss it!
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30~40유로대의 훌륭한 선택지. 이 가격대 뗌쁘라뇨 베이스 와인 중에 좋은 선택지. 1시간~1시간30분 이후로 마시기 좋아짐 신선하고 좋은 허브향 딜?, 체리, 카라멜, 분유, 붉은 과일, 오렌지 향 산도 바디 밸런스가 좋다. 스페인 와인인게 확실히 느껴지는게 카라멜과 딜 느낌. 스페인 와인은 오랜만에 먹으면 좋은데 자주 먹으면 물리는 느낌.. 미국 오크 느끼해..
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Nice wine, hold this for a bit longer. Still oaky, lots of coconut and a bit of leather. More red fruit such as cherry. Outstanding concentration on the palate as well as the finish. Would start opening it at 10 years of age the earliest.
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Ripe red and black berries, strawberry, spices, cinnamon, vanilla, tobacco. Oakiness was a bit dominant at first but then it showed more fruit when it opened up. Excellent already but should get better.
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Schöne dunkelrote Farbe. In der Nase angenehm fruchtig. Vanille, Kirsche und Eiche, rund und weich. Mit genügend Luft öffnet er sich herrlich beim Trinken.
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Day 1: Extremely still young and needs more time in the bottle or the day 3 experience. A bit hot with wood, mild dill, dried cherries, celery, spice and earth. Everything is there but will benefit with some time. 90 points Day 2: No surprised this improved. Never drink these wines on day 1 and expect them to peak or age them for any additional 10 and drink. More balanced on day 2 with wood, blueberries, dark cherry, spice, vanilla, earth, pepper and dark chocolate. Very complex wine and lots of long term potential. 92+ points Day 3: Got a great deal on this for under $30 and probably should have bought more. Wood, dark chocolate, spice, minerals, raspberries, twigs, vanilla and pepper. Medium plus finish and nice acidity. 92 points Recommendation: This will drink well through 2030 so no hurry.
Opens with big fruit notes. Black currant, black cherry, blackberry on the nose. A touch of semi sweet chocolate in the background. High acidity on the palate with the black and blue fruits showing along balsalmic notes. Big oak aspect with a spicy and dry finish whcih had me reaching for water quite a bit.
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Extremely well made Rioja and especially for the price hits above its weight class. La Rioja Alta makes amazing wines. Black cherry, vanilla and chocolate on the nose following into the palate with cloves, expresso and a touch of dill. This is what Rioja should taste like, a true oak bomb with delicious Tempranillo flavors and also some notes coming from the 20% Garnacha. Beautiful!!!
Considerably more oak than I'd typically enjoy, yet there's plenty of other elements here to provide balance. Notes of black cherry, espresso, and black licorice lead the charge, buoyed by lively acidity and hints of tobacco. Woodsy oak washes over it all, but it still works.
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Popped and poured. A little funk in the beginning but blew off nicely. High acid, medium tannin, receding fruit. We finished half the bottle with grilled ribeyes and will finish the other half tomorrow.
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Nose: not getting a lot, dried red fruit, maybe blue fruit. Taste: preserved red plum, a little forest shrubbery, herb, mint. High acid, just a bit of tannin. Don't get what the hype is about. It's good but not earth shattering. Definitely no Tondonia.
2 hour decant. Nose: oak, red fruit, oak spices. Palate. Cherry, raspberry, oak spices, leather, lively acidity. Very nice rioja. Smooth, easy to drink.
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Medium (+) garnet colour. Medium and developing nose with red plum, black pepper, licorice, vanilla and coconut. Medium (+) taste of red plum, vanilla, cloves, coconut, leather and tobacco. Medium (+) long and dry finish. Medium acidity. High tannins. Full body. A very good Rioja with great potential. Drink now or over the next seven years. Goes well with beef or lamb.
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Agree with Janda_42's recent note, minus the boozy nose. For me the alcohol was nicely integrated. Very fine tasting experience from an historic, picturesque winery with vin-tech modernization. Crystalline red. Highly aromatic. Medium bodied. Adventurous finish. 14.5% abv.
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Happy to again find a solid Reserva Rioja after a few misses, and at a reasonable price point. Classic big American oak profile on the nose, but not overdone in my estimation — just a hint of dill and cedar. Dark spiced blackberry bouquet, menthol, violets, new leather, saw dust and pipe smoke. Certainly will appear heavily oaked for those without much experience with Rioja or American oak but I feel this is a well-integrated example.
Palate is delicious but certainly tannin-driven, with rich dusty tannic character and very little acid. Overall, as a Rioja lover, very enjoyable effort.
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Alcoholic on the nose with a little cherry and cacao powder. On the palate: Juicy red fruit. Bubblegum. Soy sauce, mushroom and earth. Pleasant gum-drying tannin, with a little bit of tartness and cacao on the back palate. Medium bodied. Overall this wine is really, really good; well worth the $35-40 it tends to sell for.
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Open and fragrant nose of cherries, violets, roses, and a dusty country road on a hot summer day with just a hint of cocoa powder. The complex and very well-balanced palate echoes the nose highlighting maraschino cherries and a variety of baking spices. Mouthfeel is lush with tannins almost fully resolved. Big finish that extends with the darker side of the fruit palate and earthiness along with baking spices. There's a reason the professional critics are calling this their best vintage in decades! IMO, when compared to the Rioja I tried last week (the 2011 Viña Tondonia from R. López de Heredia), you give up some complexity in nose and palate for something better balanced and more universally approachable. *The winery was founded in 1890 by 5 families from the Rioja and Basque regions of Spain with the current official name,"La Rioja Alta, S.A." registered in 1941. *Viña Ardanza is their most renowned wine and this 2015 vintage comprised of estate grown fruit: 78% Tempranillo (aged 36 months) and 22% Garnacha (aged 30 months); bottled in 2019.
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Medium to full body, deep ruby colour. Impressive aroma of jammy fruits, tobacco, spices, vanilla and balsamic background. Dominant plum and sweet cherry palate following by milk chocolate and long juicy finish. Rich, bold and complex, not such elegant as Seleccion Especial of 2010 and has higher alcohol than usually, albeit well balanced fresh and rounding, silky tannins and lovely acidity. Food friendly, well pairing to paella de champinones. Open three hours ahead, next day, after vacuum corking, even better. Serve 16ºC - 20ºC. Drink now and next six/eight years.
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tobacco, plums, dried flowers, baking spice and a little dried beef blood... supple and smooth, this is a very elegant and composed Ardanza, though also quite full, great balance of oak spice and fruit, dried cherry and plum notes on the finish, this will last for 20+ years, though it is pretty much ready now
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Extremely tight, this took over an hour’s decant to show anything at all. When it did it was very nice, though too oaky right now. It’s an awkward time for this wine. It needs another few years to start opening up. There was a touch of Brett in this bottle, which makes me nervous about the offset of continued aging, though I do find that the LRA wines typically handle Brett with some grace. I have thus far been less impressed with the Ardanzas of the 2010s than the 2000s.
Medium deep ruby color. Layered with ripe red cherry, chocolate, leather, hint of stable on nose. Dry, crunchy acidity, integrated tannins, palate follows through. Medium body, great balance, medium finish.
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I really like the way this drinks now. Sour cherry (acidity) is balanced by riper berry fruit (sweetness). Leather / tobacco and fruit flavors are balanced. Oak is on point. It’s a hell of a wine for under $40.
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Unmistakably Rioja, if somewhat light in style and body. Red fruits, lit cigar, loam, and minerality, on the nose and palate. Less bracing than is typical for Reserva Rioja, but this does not detract from the whole. Enjoyable now, with the possibility of modest improvement in three to five years. 91-92.
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Deep garnet color. Fully developed, med plus aromas of allspice, black olive, meat, mushroom, dried flower, hoisin sauce, dark cherry, star anise, red cherry, prune, raisin, chocolate. Dry, med(+) body, high tannins, high acid, high alcohol, long finish. Really beautiful but the fruits seem pretty ripe for Rioja. More of tertiary notes on the nose and fruits and oak are more prominent on the palate. I think this wine is at its peak but will keep being great in the coming few years.
For pairing, this would be great with dark chocolate. But for classic choices, it would be steak or even a burger. My personal pick would be a fillet steak with shiitake marmalade. It was great with fries. For this wine, I probably prefer beef over lamb personally.
Decanted for 3 hours. First impressions were good -- it's mostly true Rioja flavors and characteristics, but has very slight lean towards new school fruit. Well balanced in general, except for the alcohol. All the people drinking it thought it was too dominate. Paired quite will with our Texas Paella (yes, I know, a true sin in the eyes of classic paella from Valencia) and would pair well with lots of foods. Still was a very good wine, just not a great one. Rated as 89, but would have rated as 91 or 92 if the alcohol was less present. I've had other vintages of this wine that were superb, but I don't remember the alcohol being such an issue.
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Dried black cherry, tobacco, dried herbs and vanilla. Medium/full bodied. Smooth and balanced with great mouthfeel. Fine grained tannins and a dusty long finish. Paired well with Mediterranean chicken dish. Good week day wine to accompany many dishes.
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tasted @Vancouver International Wine Festival 2023: chocolate notes, some eucalypt or mint, a beautiful crisp acidity, sweet juicy red fruits, very elegant tannins, very long finish, no perceivable alcohol. This is an excellent vintage for the Ardanza Reserva. Drink now or hold - 91 points
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Páskasmakk Eðalklúbbsins. Apríl 2023. (Marbakkabraut 12): Meðaldökkt eða jafnvel ríflega það. Kjötkraftur, krydd í nefi. Þarna voru líka tónar eins og piparmynta og súkkulaði. Pipp súkkulaði sagði einhver (kannski Bolli). Heitir reyndar pralín núna. Tannkrem og græn paprika. Það var svo minnst á vínillykt eins og í nýjum bíl. Á tungunni: Soðið bragð, jólakrydd. Fín fylling. Þarna mátti greina myntu og járnbragð. Rokgjarnt, líklega hátt í áfengisprósentu. Það var helst talið að þetta væri cabernet sauvignon sem reyndist ekki rétt.
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La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva 2015 En vin som definitivt kommer under kategorien «God Vin» i min bok . Tempranillo blend . Klar dyp rubinrød med en svak brunlig fargetone på kanten . Dekantert i tre timer på vid karaffel . Åpner segfint opp. Dufter røde bær, moreller, urter vanilje , tobakk , lær ,jord , eik . Fin intensitet. Smaken viderefører duften , god syre og lekre tanniner. Lang lengde . Stod godt til Entrecote, selleri/potetstappe, soppdtuving og grønnsaker . En fremdeles ung Rioja og det blir spennende å følge den fremover sammen med tidligere årganger . En rimelig men samtidig en god vin !
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Coupage de Tempranillo y Garnacha (78%-22%) con 30/36 meses de crianza en barrica americana. Alc. 14,5% vol. Ya lo había bebido (vino y añada) hace casi un año en el Restaurante Botín de Madrid, por lo que pensaba esperar más para abrirlo, pero sospeché que había alguna infiltración por el corcho y decidí no correr más riesgos. El vino estaba íntegro y sutil, con muchos matices terciarios, terrosos y fruta confitada destacados. Un acierto! Tomado en casa durante la cena de cumpleaños de mi esposa, el tinto #2/3.
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A: deep ruby N: profound intensity, red and black cherries, red and black currant, sour cherries, medicinal, cedar, vanilla, tobacco, leather, forest floor, mushroom. Just tons of P/S/T but enough primary to say it’s still developing. P: dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins, high alcohol, medium+ body, profound flavor intensity, same characteristics as the nose on the palate, long finish Q: very good, can drink now but suitable for further aging. Balance was a bit off with the alcohol coming in so hot, which was the only knock to pull from calling this outstanding.
Great quality to price ratio
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Not quite same level as 2010. Typical tempranillo/Rioja style, fine nose with sour cherry, vanilla, tobacco and forrest soil. On the palate cherries in vanilla cream, warm and spicy aftertaste - the alcool (14.5%) is almost burning on the tongue. Medium acidity, medium+ tannins.
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Young, but showing plenty of promise. This wine was getting bullied a bit on WB, and I'm not sure why. I do not have the perspective of tasting vintages older than 2010, but what seemed to me last night was a very young, well made Rioja that is very priced at $35 +- a buck. The fruit took some coaxing, but it finally came out, sweet cherry and yes some american oak, but it had plenty of structure to offset, and I like this wines chances down the road.
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At PNP nose is all American oak: vanilla, coconut, dill. Heavy handed at first whiff. Given 30 minutes to an hour to breathe, I get cherry, almond extract, and baking spice. Dill all but goes away after a time, but the coconut and vanilla stick around, more married along with the fruit. Palate: Bone dry and high acid, belying the overwhelmingly sweet nose. More of the fruit comes out vs the wood (after having more breathing time). Spiced sour cherry pie filling. Walnuts in syrup. The vanilla and coconut are more in the background. Silky tannins. The 14.5% is VERY present. Kind of hot. This has great bones, and I'm sure the oak and high abv will settle in with the red fruit over time, but right now it doesn't feel integrated or complete. I could see buying another bottle or two to lay down, but I wouldn't open another one this young.
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At home for dinner with friends Cold cuts and sandwichon caliente Wine is delicious typical Tempranillo nose With tart cherries young with nice acidity Excellent qpr
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Bläst mich heute nicht ganz so weg wie beim ersten Mal, mundet aber dennoch außergewöhnlich gut. Besticht mit vielschichtiger Nase nach dunklen und roten Früchten, leicht marmeladig, mit feiner, verführerischer Süße. Dazu Kräuter, dezent animalisch, florale Anklänge, sowie feine Holz- und Vanillenoten. Am Gaumen fruchtig, würzig, heller Tabak, sattes Volumen, kraftvoll, unheimlich weiche Textur und perfekt balanciert. Elegant und komplex mit geschmeidigem Nachhall. Gerne wieder!
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Birrira Tacos and Rioja (Gautum's, Portland, Oregon): This was decanted for a few hours before drinking. The nose is hyper-classic Rioja in all its glory with vanilla beans, dill, sour cherries, raspberries, herbs, spice notes, strawberries, fresh leather, and rose petals. The Medium bodied feel is silky and refined with tart, medium+ acidity and youthful, medium+ tannins. The structure shows off a fair bit of youth still, though the feel is poised, balanced, and polished. This can definitely use a few more years to really round into form and will have a very long life ahead of it. This is an absolute steal for the cellar at under-$50.
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Very sweet nose. Truffled? Maybe also influenced by the oak. Nice palate if a bit one dimensional. Resolved tannins with good acidity. Vina Ardanza is always a solid wine.
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This wine probably has some merit but I just cannot handle the oak. I knew I was in trouble upon pulling the cork and coconut aromas immediately overwhelmed my senses. I cannot imagine the oak ever coming into balance.
Superb balanced wine, medium body, smooth tannins, excellent pure fruit, complex flavors, drank at AC restaurant $95, drank with Spanish tapas, would drink again.
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Intensity medium. Very rich in aromas: ripe black fruit (cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, plum), oak, vanilla, liquorice, herbal, coffee, leather. Acidity medium(+), tannins medium(+), long finish. Decanted for about 4 hours. The wine is very pretty, nice balance between primary, secondary elements and additional development in the bottle. Good to drink now, but certainly up for a further number of years in the cellar.
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Pnp er det mye eikepreg, kaffe og mørk sjokolade. Etter 1 time åpning er det tydeligere tempranillofrukt med kirsebær og plomme (kanskje), fortsatt kaffe og sjokolade. Lakris og blomster med enda litt mer tid. Middels fylde, lett søtlig eikepreg i finishen som er ganske lang. Den er veldig mye bedre og balansert enn 2018 Alberdi fra i går, om enn litt Parkerisert denne også. Bør være på topp om 5-7 år til.
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An absolute stunner of a classical Rioja. Soaring nose of cherry jam, leather and a hint of moist pipe tobacco. Fleshy, juicy, caressing, giving. Every sip and glass is pure joy, pure pleasure, pure happiness. The quintessence of Rioja - serious - but exuberantly celebrating life and beauty. A timeless classic.
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Aging beautifully, now 7 years old. Aromas of leather, earth and oak, well balanced on the nose. Take time to enjoy the aroma! First notes on tha palette are berry followed by leather and later oak. The time in the oak for this réserva adds nicely to its character. The drinkability range for this wine has plenty of space as it is not yet peaked or demonstrating tertiary notes. I would say it has another good 5 years for sure. Moderate tannins and alcohol, all well balanced. Medium length finish. Definitely a fan and my normal bid is toward aged Bordeaux.
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Red fruit, red cherry and cranberry, oak, a touch of vanilla. Leathery. Good balance of tart fruit, round oak and ripe tannin. Medium bodied. Still tastes young. Lovely.
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Way too much oak - disappointing... detracts from the terrific fruit underneath. Will have to be cellared for 10 years and decanted for a whole day before you can even get near it... bummer.
Some Rioja's have fallen into the Parker trap and this is definitely one of them!
On the nose red fruit, some oak and vanilla and a hint of liquorice and meat. High and dry so lots of structure, quite pronounced flavours I thought - red cherry, herbs giving a hint of sweet winter cough medicine. Also charred oak, sweet vanilla and hint of creaminess, slight taste of meat from bottle ageing. With good structure I’ll be cellaring the other bottles. Very good - great value!
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Night 1 - fruit forward - cherries, dried herbs, pepper and spice. Good concentration and balance means it's easy to drink.
Night 2 - stored airtight at room temperature. It's gained some weight and the tannins are more pronounced and not as easy to drink without food. It's more brooding than backward but still appealing due to the intensity of primary fruit.
Verdict: lay down five more years. Drink from 2028 - 2035+ I'd say.
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Cherry, dill, a little leafy tobacco, and some baking spices on the nose. Palate continues the cherries and spice, with nice prominent acidity and some fine tannins. Finish is medium length. Very nice now, will improve with age. Great quality for price, will definitely be buying more.
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Doft: vanilj, dill, tobak, mörk frukt, örtigt (typ rosmarin). Fylligt och kraftigt, bra balans. Helt klart ett bra vin men Rioja verkar inte riktigt vara min region.
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This showed great with roast chicken. Loads of sweet vanilla on the nose, but balanced with cherry and plum fruit. Well balanced with a long finish. Excellent.
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earthy, medium fine tannins, dry, dark berries, hints of tobacco, medium-full body, medium acidity.
Tasting next to a 2010 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia. Compared to the Tondonia, it's more full bodied, bit more acidic, a little less earthy.
Both very nice, and the Vina Ardanza is just as enjoyable as the more expensive Vina Tondonia. Both have depth and complexity and is a step or two above a daily sipper.
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Sangre, dark fruit, some oak. Tanin s balanced. Longish finish. Nice acidity. Slightly aggressive mouthful. A really nice, well priced wine that should improve with age.
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Nose somewhat restrained at first. Then cedar, dried sour cherry, dill, vanilla almost like pralines n cream ice cream. Well integrated. Palate sour cherry and vanilla with fine tannins and long finish. Medium acidity. Very nice, would be better with more expressive nose and palate.
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J$ supplied for Xmen blind tasting last nite. No decant. This is a good example of the international, modern-style riojas that are out there. Purplish color with slight orange at the edges. Nose exudes aromas of vanilla, wood & red berries. Out of bottle, tasted a bit sweet tho that changed over time. There's plenty of fruit here, but also lots of oak, high acidity level and bitter tannins at the back end. It's 14.5% alcohol level is also intrusive. Most enjoyed this wine more than I did as I found the excessive oak and alcohol a bit off-putting. I had a hard time figuring what and where this wine came from, tho some guessed correctly that it was from Spain. Not a bad wine, but just not my cup of tea stylistically-speaking
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Popped a bottle straight out of the box when it arrived from the vendor - did not disappoint. Great value classic Rioja perfect for delicious schlurping without being too fancy.
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Vinum La Rioja Alta SA Tasting: [Vinum La Rioja Alta SA Tasting] Med+/Pronounced intensity, ripe red fruit, cherry, strawberry, mushroom, sous bois, spices. Med/Med+ finish with med+ tannins. Big ripe juicy red fruit with decent attack and complexity. Needs time, 89-90 right now.
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Medium garnet red. Rich red fruit nose in a pleasant oak background. Notiable, smooth tannins showing this wine is aging nicely. Bright red fruit flavors.
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The color is deep ruby-garnet. On the nose there are pronounced aromas of ripe blackberries, black cherries and black plum, strawberries, coffee, black chocolate, smoke, leather, dry leaves. It is developing. On the palate the wine is dry. The acidity is high. The tannins are ripe and medium(+). The alcohol is high and the body is full. On the palate the flavours are pronounced and the characteristics are similar to aromas on the nose. Additionally, there is vanilla. The finish is very long. This is another outstanding Ardanza. It's extremely well balanced and very complex. This power and this freshness - just great! Compared to the 2012, the 2015 is more elegant. Probably, elegant is not the right expression for a Ardanza. I prefer the 2015 but it's a matter of taste. Glass I used: Zalto Universal.
Dry, full body, high alcohol, medium plus acidity and tannins, pronounced intencity and high complexity. Well balance with long finish. Ripe cherry, plum, chocolate , tobacco , vanilla.
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Vina Ardanza 2015 Kokostop, smörkola, svartpeppar, röd och mörk frukt. Vanilj och torkade katrinplommon. Tydlig ek och riktigt pigg och lång syra. Poppis här i familjen.
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Dark red color. Coconut, vanilla, and dark fruit bouquet. Medium-bodied , smooth, lashes of oak, but the underlying fruit still shines through. Moderate length. Mature, soft and round flavor.
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I really enjoyed this wine last night with dinner (Ribeye & stuffed Bella mushrooms). Rich flavors, a bit of earthy spice and great leathery smooth finish. I will restock this one for sure.
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Initially, alcohol and acidity mask everything else. Aerated 2 hours and much improved. Complex spices, subtle balsalmic and sweet mixed fruits, well integrated oak and tannins. Well balanced. Great food wine.
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4 years ago I had 2008 vintage. I have red my notes and definitely 2015 is different in my humble opinion. I didn't detect aromas of tobacco, tea or herbs. 2015 is full of fruits and spice. Very strong smell of red cherry, blue berry, strawberry, also coke and sweet spices(?). Anyway complex, intrigued and complicated 😎 Let's go to the best part of the juice. Flavors are complex, intrigued and complicated 😎 According my review of 2008 there was a lot of red fruits Not in the 2005! The wine is definitely on sweeter side of dry, red wine, but a lovely spice is all over here and tannins and acidity are very well integrated in this body. Texture is milky with a lot of coffee, cocoa, black cherry, tabacco and who knows what else ( black chocolate?) Long, bright finish with lovely spices, grippy, but soft tannins and something sweet and something sour Go figure 🤠 $25 wine I can't remember better wine with this QPR ratio. And I can't find any fault in this wine, hence...in my World of Wine is among the best!
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Aroma - pronounced red/dark Fruits, cherry, raspberry, blackberry. Some spice and anise. Mild vanilla. Alcohol is apparent
Taste - balanced fruit/oak character. Fruit flavors follow the nose of cherry, blackberry. Some baking spices through the mid palate transitioning to more vanilla and oak in the finish. Moderate acidity. Alcohol is warming but not unpleasant.
Body - medium body with restrained tannin. Long lasting finish
Overall - very pleasant drinking wine, balanced with moderate acidity, would pair well with food, though high ABV may overwhelm more delicate dishes.
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Bottle variation on these is higher than I am accustomed to on prior vintages. This bottle had an almost overwhelming note of vanilla. Prior bottles it was more in check but this is the 2nd now out of 8 bottles that had this. Other than that, it was all good. No score for this, just beware of bottle variation with this vintage.
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Trenger masse luft, dag 1 to glass, dag 2 flere glass og dag 3 siste glasset og den beste vinopplevelsen. 2010 trenger fortsatt mye luft så 2015 bør ligge i kjelleren en del år og luftes veldig godt!
Ung, men balansert og frisk, en del vanilje fra fatbruk, men dette blir nok mer integrert med tiden. 2010 har ikke vaniljefatpreg på samme måte. Denne har godt med røde frukter som saftige kirsebær, fat, noe krydder
Kan hende denne vokser med et par poeng med tiden potensiale til 91-92?
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Dinner at Restaurant 273 (Oudegracht, Utrecht): Not as much oak as the previous (.375) bottle i had (where size may have played a role?); vanilla dille, cherries, pipe tobacco. Needs more time
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Dark fruit, vanilla, sweet spices, tobacco on the nose. Very generous and mellow on the palate, good acidity, dusty tannins, fine length. Delicious! 92-94
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Red fruits, tobacco, vanilla, and oak round out the nose.
Light bodied a little spicy and not very dry. Red cherry and slight toasted marshmallow with a little tobacco smoke in the finish. The mouthfeel is really interesting, this is a good wine
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Moxie and I are moving house next week so we are raiding the freezer and drinking all the un-tried wines. Tonight is grilled Hangar steak and this Tempranillo from Spain. Deep garnet colored, it shows its age and it's 14.5% ABV with some thick legs in the glass. The nose is beautiful aged Rioja. Leather, tobacco, dried blackberry, stewed black plum, dark chocolate, game and prune. The palate is dry and tart with fine grained, well integrated tannins. Full bodied, this wine coats my mouth with flavors of dried and stewed black fruits, charred oak and dried, dusty bramble. The leather and tobacco are still evident as is some red fruit; stewed strawberry? The finish is medium in length and the fine tannins are tickling the roof of my mouth. I like this wine but feel it is at peak if not slightly past, which is quite young for a Reserva. 92 points for this $30 bottle makes it a 5 star effort, drink till 2025.
https://wp.me/p125DB-2Jd
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Only a brief note but this is classic Ardanza and typical of the house style. Elegant in a deeply wooded, varnish type of presentation. Quite rich. Maybe not the finest vintage of this label but pretty good. Certain to be long lived.
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Nose of red fruit, dill, vanilla oak. Palate is intense red fruit followed up by oak and Ardanza signature spiciness. Not as earthy as I would like. And lacks a bit of acidity compared to 2012. The wine is still very primary and needs a good couple of years to integrate.
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Initially seemed tight, returning to the glass several hours later. In retrospect, would have decanted. First time experiencing such a noticeable difference.
Nose: Rich and earthy, smoke, leather, pine, maybe slightly herbal even. Palate: Medium body and acidity, medium+ tannins? Lots of fruit up front, still seems tight. Earthy notes follow, fading to oak, vanilla, dark chocolate, and coffee.
Delightful wine, it seems much better-balanced than the CVNE. I like the reined-in oak. The fruit and savory notes are well-structured, more in harmony than contrasting. This might be my first time identifying how young a wine is and being able to see how further ageing would be beneficial.
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Very dark luscious red.inviting nose, tobacco , vanilla , red fruit . Smoky, semi dry, complex and long. A sophisticated acidic kick in the end. Will definitely stock up on this. Me gusta
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A blend of Tempranillo (78%) from Cuesta and Montecillo vineyards that average 30 years in age and Garnacha (22%) from La Pedriza vineyard planted at high altitude in La Rioja Baja. Fermented and macerated in stainless steel, aged in stainless steel tanks until March 2016. The Tempranillo wines were aged for 36 months in American oak barriques averaging 4 years old and the Garnacha wines were aged for 30 months in 2nd and 3rd use American oak barrels. Blended and bottled in September 2019. 14,5% alcohol, 5,4 g/l acidity and pH 3,64. Tasted half-blind from a magnum.
Deep, luminous and only slightly translucent dark ruby color with a youthful blueish hue. The nose feels sweet and quite dark-toned with intense aromas of ripe dark plums, some vanilla, a little bit of juicy blackcurrant, light strawberry tones and a toasty hint of chocolatey mocha oak. The wine is dense, chewy and quite extracted on the palate with a very full body and concentrated flavors of ripe blueberry-driven dark fruits and blackcurrant jam, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of Bourbon caramel and vanilla, light strawberry notes, a buttery hint of diecetyl and a chocolatey touch of mocha oak. The wine is surprisingly round and mellow with quite soft medium acidity and quite ripe and friendly medium tannins that contribute relatively little to the structure. The finish is rich, weighty and quite juicy with some alcohol warmth and a rather long aftertaste of strawberry jam, some vanilla-and-caramel notes of Bourbon, a little bit of blackcurrant, light chocolate blueberry milkshake nuances, a buttery hint of diacetyl and a touch of very ripe plummy fruit.
I was shocked to learn this was Ardanza when the wines were revealed. In a lineup where many of the wines came from Ribera del Duero, this wine seemed much bigger, heavier and softer in comparison with a lot more emphasis on very ripe fruit flavors of rather pronounced oak. This is in no way a classic Ardanza - we had a vertical of Ardanza 2004-2009 only a little while ago and this wine bore no resemblance whatsoever to those wines. The alcohol alone had gone up from the normal 13,5% to 14,5% and the overall style was noticeably softer, sweeter and oakier. I find it really hard to believe the wine uses only used American oak barrels as this wine was not just about the classic Rioja vanilla, but there was also a lot of toasty Bourbon caramel and chocolatey mocha character. I had to return to this wine after it was revealed and even knowing what wine I was drinking, I did not feel this was Ardanza. This is more like a soft, hot-vintage entry-level modernist wine from Priorat or Ribera del Duero. Normally I'm a fan of Ardanza, but while not undrinkable, I found very little enjoyment in this particular vintage. A sweet, soft and ponderous effort and quite a big let-down.
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Cru Wines Trade Tasting (Bentley Bar & Restaurant, Sydney): Savoury, slightly meaty, oak more restrained than the Alberdi, red hued fruits, a touch of tobacco leaf, slight vanilla. In the mouth it’s juicy, savoury, fleshy, with red fruits, soft tannins, youthful simplicity. Pretty good.
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Leider völlig inakzeptabel. Traurig da keine Idee klassischer Rioja mehr. Keine Hoffnung das im Alter sich das ändert. Kein Holz und keine Rioja typizität. Blindprobe von Rioja Spezialisten als Pinot getippt. Schade!
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La Rioja Alta is such a damn reliably great producer. This is the 2015 Viña Ardanza Reserva, the mid-range offering in their line. 78% Tempranillo and the rest Grenache., matured for up to 3yrs in newer American Oak.
This was a strong, powerful (14.5% abv) wine with unmistakable traditional rioja character of toasted coconut, vanilla spice, dill, dark red and some black fruits. Skillfully exposed to oxygen. Impressive intensity and yet, still elegant.
The wine is balanced, multi-dimentional, and complex already but still skews towards primary/secondary flavors of fruit and winemaking. Long runway ahead still to develop tertiary characters on the impressive structure of medium + acid and ripe, medium + tannin.
All this for just $30. Great Value and drinking extremely well right now. So satisfying with a grilled a steak.
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At Hotel Vincchi La Plantación del Sur, Costa Adeje, Tenerife. From half-bottle. Medium to dark ruby colour. Red and dark berries, red cherry, raspberry, dill, herbal notes, freshly ground coffee, cocoa, spices and vanilla, with good, medium-level acidity, and great length of the cocoa bitter finish. Good concentration. Quite ripe, like many of the recent vintages of La Rioja Alta‘s wines. Probably not the longest-lived vintage of Ardanza Reserva, but very enjoyable now, and the wine should continue to develop well for twenty years. Good value. Pair with a grilled rib-eye steak for now.
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Dinner Restaurant Terroir (Utrecht): [Restaurant purchase, PnP from .375] This needs more time or more air. Fruit is definitely there, but it was hidden under a thick blanket of American Oak.
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Day 1: Classic Ardanza. One of not the most consistent wine vintage to vintage. This is amazing on a pop and pour. Always swirl though. Perfume, roasted meat, dill, oak, stone, spice and floral notes. Flavorful and medium plus finish. I will be buying more of this in an instant. Outstanding value for under $30. 93 points Day 2: Not nearly as good. Lost some of the complexity and funkiness from day 1. For sure not a good day 2 wine. 84 points Recommendation: I believe this will age in the cellar but not as long as some of the other vintages. The wine was wonderful out of the gate with no decant.
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Medium ruby with red base. Shows no ageing at this point. Intense nose with blackberry, cherry, dill, milk chocolate, vanilla. Cigar box and cedar on palate. Medium+ acidity and tannins, dry, full body. Rich but a bit all over the place now. Will improve but already very enjoyable.
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Red fruits, cherry, something vinyl about this wine, very similar and consistent with other vintages. Floral, herbal. On the palate, nice acidity, medium tannin. Balanced. Enjoyable. Not as good as young 2010 either. Similar to 2012.
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Very good, nearly as usual but very ready to drink, even so it's young. Fleshy strawberry, quite dark and with a good structure, which may be a result of the very warm and dry weather in 2015. Ready to go and has at least 10 years to go.
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Aged Tempranillos from Rioja and Ribeira - Virtual wine tasting (Skype): Wine 6 of 6. Medium ruby colour. Beautiful red fruit, raspberry, dill, herbal notes, spices, light tobacco, with lively acidity, ripe, fine tannin that is chewy in a positive way, and very good length. Good structure and grip at the front and the end, juicy if maybe a little less structured and grippy in the middle which might become an issue as the wine ages. Integrated and very drinkable on days two and three. Polished.
Should develop well over the medium term, but might not last for the very long term. Good value. 91(?)
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Gorgeous sweet nose of vanilla, pipe tobacco, herbs, cherries and plums; smokey and meaty. Deliciously and deceptively light in body, it has a lovely fresh acidity and a persistent finish. The oak is very present- I don’t like overly oaked wines, though somehow this works so well. Exception proves the rule! Lovely stuff
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La Rioja Alta — N&P zoom tasting (Zoom): 78% Temp / 22% Garnacha. Quite intense, slightly high toned nose. Brighter and more red fruited. Positive attack, and more classically Ardanza on the palate. Just a hint of warmth in the finish though. Good acidity. Slightly compressed through the mind palate to finish. A whiff of VA starting to show. Ripe. Not sure about the abv here — a different recipe these days. ***1/2
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94/95. Has aromas of shale infused raspberries, plums, cherries +strawberries+ clovey hints. This has impressive depth on the full medium bodied solid multi dimensional zingy lightly clovey blue and red fruits palate and ends with very long length. 14.5%. Excellent value at 24 Euros. Needs 9-12 hrs aeration. Lay down 10/15 years+. This is as good as the 2010 or even better! I would prefer for this to be at 13/13.5% alcohol. I can drink this a glass at a time! Went well with lamb fillet done rare and patatas bravas.
4/26/2024 - lush-dornfelder26 Likes this wine: 90 Points
보틀 상태가 좋지 않았디
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4/19/2024 - North Willis Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Classic Rioja style with vibrant fruit and sweet American oak. Will add additional notes on day 2.
Day 2: continuing to show vibrant fruit, with lovely oak notes and velvety tannins. There's a good structure to this wine. I'm enjoying the spice and balsamic notes, and medium plus finish. It will continue to drink well for many years, and may improve some.
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3/30/2024 - Jshummelt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red or slightly garnet core extending to a garnet/brick rim. Moderate color density. Slow legs.
Powerful aroma intensity where oak contribution is very substantial. Red fruits (cherry) that are baked, with vanilla, cacao, nutmeg, and molasses some of the dominant aromas I found.
This wine is medium+ to full bodied, a little less of an ‘elegant’ Rioja and more of a powerhouse with high alcohol (14%) but well balanced acidity and medium round tannins. Moderate+ flavor intensity with bruised red fruit (predominantly cherry), red licorice, vanilla, leather, and dill the dominant flavors. Long finish.
A wonderful wine to drink with food or by itself-I really enjoyed drinking this wine.
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3/27/2024 - IanKoenig Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep violet to dark purple in the glass. On the nose crimson red cherries, tobacco spice, and plum. On the palate, it is a bit bold, but the flavor is delicious. Higher in VA than other vintages. the tannins are well-rounded and short. The finish is medium to long but quite complex. Notes of ripe plum, oak, tobacco, and tart cherry.
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3/23/2024 - lush-dornfelder26 Likes this wine: 91 Points
시간필요
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3/22/2024 - jdurstjr Likes this wine: 91 Points
More savory than fruity in a very pleasant way. This one needs time to open up so allow it some time and air.
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3/15/2024 - SLB83 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Anything you want to see a Rioja reserva…but then multiplied by 10! Worth every penny.
This definitely needs some air. Give it 2 hours in a decanter and pour it back in the bottle.
If you don’t like this wine, there something wrong with the wine / bottle, or with you.
Amazing stuff.
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3/10/2024 - pinotbestia Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite a ripe Ardanza. Deep translucent ruby. The nose has mostly oak but some hedgerow fruit too. Palate is a bit broader than usual, more modern than classic. Ripe plum, vanilla, allspice, as well as some blueberry jam. Tannins are surprisingly soft for a 9 year old vintage, and the acidity is moderate. The finish has a decent, evolving, length and a touch of sweetness. Very pleasant and easy drinking, with a wide appeal.
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3/10/2024 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
Dee red colour with a little fading at the rim.
Ripe strawberry and plum with menthol and aromatic tobacco notes,
Smells very ripe and even a little medicinal.
Very soft tannins, fruit opulent and a little stewed, warming alcohol, walnut and tobacco. Very long.
Not sure if it’s the storage , I bought this as bankrupt stock, but this seems more developed than I expected. Definitely not a legendary Ardanza like the 2010, it’s a bit fat and boozy, but as usual lots of pleasure for the money. Not sure how this will age.
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2/16/2024 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
Last of 3 and all enjoyable. Going to age my 10's and 16's longer than this 15.
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2/12/2024 - IndyTom Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking really well right now. Lots of dark fruit with great balance.
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2/9/2024 - WindFlyer Likes this wine: 92 Points
[blind tasting, bracketed comments are the guesswork].
dark deep ruby with garnet rim [denoting age] and medium body. a balsamic note on the nose [Rioja alert!] gave to way to plums, leather, herbal notes and just a whiff of lavender and cedar. plummy in the mouth with cherry and strawberry notes interleaved with leather, charcuterie and herbs. hints of candied violet sweetness pop here and there against the notable tannins, and some spice leads into the finish.
lovely complex wine that is entering a long drinking window with room for improvement.
[the balsamic note made me think Rioja immediately… but in the mouth quite a bit of Grenache was speaking, which made me think Châteauneuf; the sweet and floral notes made me think American oak (Rioja) or white varietals (CdP). under the impressions these were to be monovarietals, i declared myself stumped… but guessed the age to be ~2015ish based on the colour and wine development].
turns out this Rioja is 78% Tempranillo/ 22% Garnacha…
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2/1/2024 - _Xenon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ardanza 2015 & 2017 comparison (Feinkost Schneiderei Moers): Fantastic nose, full of vanilla, tanin sweetness, quite developed, however, the body shows that the wine could be aged further to be fully enjoyable. However, a fantacstic qpr. Dońt miss it!
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1/19/2024 - faker wrote: 93 Points
30~40유로대의 훌륭한 선택지. 이 가격대 뗌쁘라뇨 베이스 와인 중에 좋은 선택지.
1시간~1시간30분 이후로 마시기 좋아짐
신선하고 좋은 허브향 딜?, 체리, 카라멜, 분유, 붉은 과일, 오렌지
향 산도 바디 밸런스가 좋다. 스페인 와인인게 확실히 느껴지는게 카라멜과 딜 느낌.
스페인 와인은 오랜만에 먹으면 좋은데 자주 먹으면 물리는 느낌.. 미국 오크 느끼해..
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1/14/2024 - Zoro1122 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice wine, hold this for a bit longer. Still oaky, lots of coconut and a bit of leather. More red fruit such as cherry. Outstanding concentration on the palate as well as the finish. Would start opening it at 10 years of age the earliest.
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1/13/2024 - La Gola del Llop wrote:
JD
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1/1/2024 - sjmayotte Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking great after 30 minute decant. I'll be picking up more of this
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12/27/2023 - rraaffaa Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful as always, drinking great right now after breathing for 20-30 mins.
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12/24/2023 - Val D'Orcia Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe, deep well-integrated fruit balanced and well integrated. Delicious
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12/18/2023 - Peltsi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe red and black berries, strawberry, spices, cinnamon, vanilla, tobacco. Oakiness was a bit dominant at first but then it showed more fruit when it opened up. Excellent already but should get better.
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12/2/2023 - Jochen Richter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Schöne dunkelrote Farbe. In der Nase angenehm fruchtig. Vanille, Kirsche und Eiche, rund und weich. Mit genügend Luft öffnet er sich herrlich beim Trinken.
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11/24/2023 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Day 1: Extremely still young and needs more time in the bottle or the day 3 experience. A bit hot with wood, mild dill, dried cherries, celery, spice and earth. Everything is there but will benefit with some time. 90 points
Day 2: No surprised this improved. Never drink these wines on day 1 and expect them to peak or age them for any additional 10 and drink. More balanced on day 2 with wood, blueberries, dark cherry, spice, vanilla, earth, pepper and dark chocolate. Very complex wine and lots of long term potential. 92+ points
Day 3: Got a great deal on this for under $30 and probably should have bought more. Wood, dark chocolate, spice, minerals, raspberries, twigs, vanilla and pepper. Medium plus finish and nice acidity. 92 points
Recommendation: This will drink well through 2030 so no hurry.
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11/21/2023 - CaptainBert Likes this wine:
Opens with big fruit notes. Black currant, black cherry, blackberry on the nose. A touch of semi sweet chocolate in the background. High acidity on the palate with the black and blue fruits showing along balsalmic notes. Big oak aspect with a spicy and dry finish whcih had me reaching for water quite a bit.
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11/18/2023 - DevenStephens Likes this wine: 94 Points
Extremely well made Rioja and especially for the price hits above its weight class. La Rioja Alta makes amazing wines. Black cherry, vanilla and chocolate on the nose following into the palate with cloves, expresso and a touch of dill. This is what Rioja should taste like, a true oak bomb with delicious Tempranillo flavors and also some notes coming from the 20% Garnacha. Beautiful!!!
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11/9/2023 - JorgePrlta wrote: 95 Points
Fruity, spicy oaky otes, berries, and plumy/raisin character
It also has a petrichor and slight mentol note to it.
It is complex and well balanced, a perfect example of Rioja
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10/27/2023 - Lipsman wrote: 89 Points
Lacks complexity, alcohol at 14.5%, fruit buried in oak, other elements are in balance. An average wine enjoyable with a meal.
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10/7/2023 - golfismyfriend wrote: 92 Points
가죽향, 화장품향, 한약향이 너무 좋았다
미디엄바디, 스모키
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10/2/2023 - Yohansmas Likes this wine:
이번에 연구실 후배가 졸업을 하게 되어 준비한 와인입니다.
이 친구가 2015년에 대학원에 입학해서 2015 빈티지를 일부러 준비했습니다.
다만, 단계동 송돈이라는 집에서 마셨는데 잔이 준비되어 있지 않아 아직도 아쉬움이 남네요.
아쉬움을 뒤로 하고 평가를 하자면 향에서 누가 맡아도 바닐라향이 지배적입니다.
굳이 따지면 요거트라고 할 수도 있고, 유당발효 향이 느껴집니다.
시간이 조금 지나면 장미를 삼키는 듯한 꽃향기가 풍깁니다.
입에서는 적당한 산도가 매력적이라 음식과 꽤 잘 어울립니다.
코에서는 붉은 과실향이 느껴졌는데 입에서는 오히려 검붉은 과실 맛에 더 가깝습니다.
굳이 따지면 말린 과일의 풍미라고 하면 맞을 것 같습니다.
예전에 엄청나게 유행했던 와인을 다시 한번 마시게 되어서 즐거운 경험이었습니다.
그럼에도 요새 가격이 너무 올라서 이걸 여전한 가성비로 봐야 하나 의문이긴 합니다.
그래도 병 디자인이나 색깔도 그렇고, 맛도 그렇고 선물로 가장 좋은 와인 중 하나입니다.
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10/1/2023 - ziavino wrote: 91 Points
Considerably more oak than I'd typically enjoy, yet there's plenty of other elements here to provide balance. Notes of black cherry, espresso, and black licorice lead the charge, buoyed by lively acidity and hints of tobacco. Woodsy oak washes over it all, but it still works.
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9/26/2023 - David_L wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine, the nose is nice and the taste is great
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9/23/2023 - grafighter Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. A little funk in the beginning but blew off nicely. High acid, medium tannin, receding fruit. We finished half the bottle with grilled ribeyes and will finish the other half tomorrow.
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9/23/2023 - YackAttack213 wrote: 90 Points
Nose: not getting a lot, dried red fruit, maybe blue fruit.
Taste: preserved red plum, a little forest shrubbery, herb, mint. High acid, just a bit of tannin.
Don't get what the hype is about. It's good but not earth shattering. Definitely no Tondonia.
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9/22/2023 - matiasox@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
2 hour decant. Nose: oak, red fruit, oak spices. Palate. Cherry, raspberry, oak spices, leather, lively acidity. Very nice rioja. Smooth, easy to drink.
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9/16/2023 - coolmax Likes this wine: 92 Points
원래 괜찮지만 오늘은 예상을 훌쩍 넘었다. 노즈와 팔렛이 모두 폭발했다... 이유가 뭘까?
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9/7/2023 - Mic Mac Likes this wine:
Quite oaky but good fruit.
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9/6/2023 - SuperSomm wrote:
Medium (+) garnet colour. Medium and developing nose with red plum, black pepper, licorice, vanilla and coconut. Medium (+) taste of red plum, vanilla, cloves, coconut, leather and tobacco. Medium (+) long and dry finish. Medium acidity. High tannins. Full body. A very good Rioja with great potential. Drink now or over the next seven years. Goes well with beef or lamb.
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9/4/2023 - buffyst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Agree with Janda_42's recent note, minus the boozy nose. For me the alcohol was nicely integrated. Very fine tasting experience from an historic, picturesque winery with vin-tech modernization. Crystalline red. Highly aromatic. Medium bodied. Adventurous finish. 14.5% abv.
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8/29/2023 - KingsleyZissou Likes this wine: 93 Points
Happy to again find a solid Reserva Rioja after a few misses, and at a reasonable price point. Classic big American oak profile on the nose, but not overdone in my estimation — just a hint of dill and cedar. Dark spiced blackberry bouquet, menthol, violets, new leather, saw dust and pipe smoke. Certainly will appear heavily oaked for those without much experience with Rioja or American oak but I feel this is a well-integrated example.
Palate is delicious but certainly tannin-driven, with rich dusty tannic character and very little acid. Overall, as a Rioja lover, very enjoyable effort.
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8/27/2023 - thkim wrote: 91 Points
첫 오픈했을때 괜찮았는데 시간 지나면서 산도가 올라오면서 약간 불호에 가까운 와인 여기 와인은 나랑 취향이 안맞는 것 같음
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8/19/2023 - Janda_42 Likes this wine:
Alcoholic on the nose with a little cherry and cacao powder. On the palate: Juicy red fruit. Bubblegum. Soy sauce, mushroom and earth. Pleasant gum-drying tannin, with a little bit of tartness and cacao on the back palate. Medium bodied. Overall this wine is really, really good; well worth the $35-40 it tends to sell for.
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8/19/2023 - winecoffee wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful nose of berries and mushrooms. Very succulent palate with berries, licorice, and chocolate.
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8/13/2023 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP and enjoyed by everyone paired with skirt steak.
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8/7/2023 - RPHC Likes this wine: 93 Points
Open and fragrant nose of cherries, violets, roses, and a dusty country road on a hot summer day with just a hint of cocoa powder. The complex and very well-balanced palate echoes the nose highlighting maraschino cherries and a variety of baking spices. Mouthfeel is lush with tannins almost fully resolved. Big finish that extends with the darker side of the fruit palate and earthiness along with baking spices. There's a reason the professional critics are calling this their best vintage in decades! IMO, when compared to the Rioja I tried last week (the 2011 Viña Tondonia from R. López de Heredia), you give up some complexity in nose and palate for something better balanced and more universally approachable. *The winery was founded in 1890 by 5 families from the Rioja and Basque regions of Spain with the current official name,"La Rioja Alta, S.A." registered in 1941. *Viña Ardanza is their most renowned wine and this 2015 vintage comprised of estate grown fruit: 78% Tempranillo (aged 36 months) and 22% Garnacha (aged 30 months); bottled in 2019.
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8/5/2023 - vlzat Likes this wine: 92 Points
78% Tempranillo and 22% Garnacha
Medium to full body, deep ruby colour. Impressive aroma of jammy fruits, tobacco, spices, vanilla and balsamic background. Dominant plum and sweet cherry palate following by milk chocolate and long juicy finish. Rich, bold and complex, not such elegant as Seleccion Especial of 2010 and has higher alcohol than usually, albeit well balanced fresh and rounding, silky tannins and lovely acidity. Food friendly, well pairing to paella de champinones. Open three hours ahead, next day, after vacuum corking, even better. Serve 16ºC - 20ºC. Drink now and next six/eight years.
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8/2/2023 - viniferatu Likes this wine:
tobacco, plums, dried flowers, baking spice and a little dried beef blood... supple and smooth, this is a very elegant and composed Ardanza, though also quite full, great balance of oak spice and fruit, dried cherry and plum notes on the finish, this will last for 20+ years, though it is pretty much ready now
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7/4/2023 - Benj wrote:
Extremely tight, this took over an hour’s decant to show anything at all. When it did it was very nice, though too oaky right now. It’s an awkward time for this wine. It needs another few years to start opening up. There was a touch of Brett in this bottle, which makes me nervous about the offset of continued aging, though I do find that the LRA wines typically handle Brett with some grace. I have thus far been less impressed with the Ardanzas of the 2010s than the 2000s.
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6/15/2023 - _Xenon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid wine with already significant brown edges. Nevertheless, a pleasure!
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6/12/2023 - Costes76 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium deep ruby color. Layered with ripe red cherry, chocolate, leather, hint of stable on nose. Dry, crunchy acidity, integrated tannins, palate follows through. Medium body, great balance, medium finish.
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5/28/2023 - maxemildj@hotmail.com wrote:
Befinder sig i Ricasoli kassen.
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5/18/2023 - LightDancer wrote: 91 Points
Needs long decant, at least through 2025.
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5/16/2023 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 93 Points
I really like the way this drinks now. Sour cherry (acidity) is balanced by riper berry fruit (sweetness). Leather / tobacco and fruit flavors are balanced. Oak is on point. It’s a hell of a wine for under $40.
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5/13/2023 - Bebopp Likes this wine: 90 Points
oak vanilla cherry red fruit
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5/7/2023 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
Unmistakably Rioja, if somewhat light in style and body. Red fruits, lit cigar, loam, and minerality, on the nose and palate. Less bracing than is typical for Reserva Rioja, but this does not detract from the whole. Enjoyable now, with the possibility of modest improvement in three to five years. 91-92.
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5/6/2023 - Takao wrote: 97 Points
Deep garnet color. Fully developed, med plus aromas of allspice, black olive, meat, mushroom, dried flower, hoisin sauce, dark cherry, star anise, red cherry, prune, raisin, chocolate. Dry, med(+) body, high tannins, high acid, high alcohol, long finish. Really beautiful but the fruits seem pretty ripe for Rioja. More of tertiary notes on the nose and fruits and oak are more prominent on the palate. I think this wine is at its peak but will keep being great in the coming few years.
For pairing, this would be great with dark chocolate. But for classic choices, it would be steak or even a burger. My personal pick would be a fillet steak with shiitake marmalade. It was great with fries. For this wine, I probably prefer beef over lamb personally.
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5/6/2023 - ppcwino Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. First impressions were good -- it's mostly true Rioja flavors and characteristics, but has very slight lean towards new school fruit. Well balanced in general, except for the alcohol. All the people drinking it thought it was too dominate. Paired quite will with our Texas Paella (yes, I know, a true sin in the eyes of classic paella from Valencia) and would pair well with lots of foods. Still was a very good wine, just not a great one. Rated as 89, but would have rated as 91 or 92 if the alcohol was less present. I've had other vintages of this wine that were superb, but I don't remember the alcohol being such an issue.
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5/1/2023 - mvande21 wrote: 93 Points
Dried black cherry, tobacco, dried herbs and vanilla. Medium/full bodied. Smooth and balanced with great mouthfeel. Fine grained tannins and a dusty long finish. Paired well with Mediterranean chicken dish. Good week day wine to accompany many dishes.
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4/29/2023 - FierceRedPanda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic Rioja. Powerful cigar box on the nose, but super lush on the palate. Everything in balance.
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4/27/2023 - isbjoern wrote: 91 Points
tasted @Vancouver International Wine Festival 2023: chocolate notes, some eucalypt or mint, a beautiful crisp acidity, sweet juicy red fruits, very elegant tannins, very long finish, no perceivable alcohol. This is an excellent vintage for the Ardanza Reserva. Drink now or hold - 91 points
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4/19/2023 - bitdrerik wrote: 90 Points
Páskasmakk Eðalklúbbsins. Apríl 2023. (Marbakkabraut 12): Meðaldökkt eða jafnvel ríflega það. Kjötkraftur, krydd í nefi. Þarna voru líka tónar eins og piparmynta og súkkulaði. Pipp súkkulaði sagði einhver (kannski Bolli). Heitir reyndar pralín núna. Tannkrem og græn paprika. Það var svo minnst á vínillykt eins og í nýjum bíl. Á tungunni: Soðið bragð, jólakrydd. Fín fylling. Þarna mátti greina myntu og járnbragð. Rokgjarnt, líklega hátt í áfengisprósentu. Það var helst talið að þetta væri cabernet sauvignon sem reyndist ekki rétt.
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4/16/2023 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
Another highly enjoyable bottle with room for further improvement down the road.
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4/16/2023 - TormodKleppe Likes this wine: 91 Points
La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva 2015
En vin som definitivt kommer under kategorien «God Vin» i min bok .
Tempranillo blend . Klar dyp rubinrød med en svak brunlig fargetone på kanten . Dekantert i tre timer på vid karaffel . Åpner segfint opp. Dufter røde bær, moreller, urter vanilje , tobakk , lær ,jord , eik .
Fin intensitet.
Smaken viderefører duften , god syre og lekre tanniner. Lang lengde .
Stod godt til Entrecote, selleri/potetstappe, soppdtuving og grønnsaker .
En fremdeles ung Rioja og det blir spennende å følge den fremover sammen med tidligere årganger . En rimelig men samtidig en god vin !
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4/15/2023 - jdamian123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very well balanced. Drink now. Would have loved just a bit more richness toward end. Would buy again.
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4/14/2023 - fredfta wrote: 94 Points
Coupage de Tempranillo y Garnacha (78%-22%) con 30/36 meses de crianza en barrica americana. Alc. 14,5% vol. Ya lo había bebido (vino y añada) hace casi un año en el Restaurante Botín de Madrid, por lo que pensaba esperar más para abrirlo, pero sospeché que había alguna infiltración por el corcho y decidí no correr más riesgos. El vino estaba íntegro y sutil, con muchos matices terciarios, terrosos y fruta confitada destacados. Un acierto! Tomado en casa durante la cena de cumpleaños de mi esposa, el tinto #2/3.
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4/9/2023 - Frankophile wrote: 92 Points
Berries and oak
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4/6/2023 - jroberts86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely. Ready now, but will last. Perfect with a modestly spicy meal, sophisticated fruit profile, layered, medium length finish.
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4/3/2023 - swade wrote: 93 Points
Walk around tasting. No formal notes. Savory, cherry, tobacco. Balanced and with a nice finish. 93
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4/3/2023 - swade wrote: 93 Points
Store tasting. Place holder. 93
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4/2/2023 - tjb12 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A: deep ruby
N: profound intensity, red and black cherries, red and black currant, sour cherries, medicinal, cedar, vanilla, tobacco, leather, forest floor, mushroom. Just tons of P/S/T but enough primary to say it’s still developing.
P: dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins, high alcohol, medium+ body, profound flavor intensity, same characteristics as the nose on the palate, long finish
Q: very good, can drink now but suitable for further aging. Balance was a bit off with the alcohol coming in so hot, which was the only knock to pull from calling this outstanding.
Great quality to price ratio
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3/26/2023 - denver_vinder wrote: 90 Points
Not quite same level as 2010. Typical tempranillo/Rioja style, fine nose with sour cherry, vanilla, tobacco and forrest soil. On the palate cherries in vanilla cream, warm and spicy aftertaste - the alcool (14.5%) is almost burning on the tongue. Medium acidity, medium+ tannins.
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3/24/2023 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Dark ruby. Quite rich dark fruit, a strong hint of sweetness. Very friendly, backed up by sufficient acidity. Highly enjoyable over three nights.
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3/20/2023 - fraundor wrote: 91 Points
- Ruby color.
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3/18/2023 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely light-medium, rustic not weird, joyous
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3/17/2023 - JMGray Likes this wine:
Strong grape notes velvety smooth. Cork had issues. Opens 1 day after purchase
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3/17/2023 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
(at Sel - Scottsdale) Just super. Classic wood and cherry fruit. A bit warmer in feel than some Rioja. Great finish. Should drink well for years. (93)
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3/3/2023 - Dale M wrote: 91 Points
Young, but showing plenty of promise. This wine was getting bullied a bit on WB, and I'm not sure why. I do not have the perspective of tasting vintages older than 2010, but what seemed to me last night was a very young, well made Rioja that is very priced at $35 +- a buck. The fruit took some coaxing, but it finally came out, sweet cherry and yes some american oak, but it had plenty of structure to offset, and I like this wines chances down the road.
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3/2/2023 - gpunch Likes this wine: 90 Points
At PNP nose is all American oak: vanilla, coconut, dill. Heavy handed at first whiff. Given 30 minutes to an hour to breathe, I get cherry, almond extract, and baking spice. Dill all but goes away after a time, but the coconut and vanilla stick around, more married along with the fruit.
Palate: Bone dry and high acid, belying the overwhelmingly sweet nose. More of the fruit comes out vs the wood (after having more breathing time). Spiced sour cherry pie filling. Walnuts in syrup. The vanilla and coconut are more in the background. Silky tannins. The 14.5% is VERY present. Kind of hot.
This has great bones, and I'm sure the oak and high abv will settle in with the red fruit over time, but right now it doesn't feel integrated or complete. I could see buying another bottle or two to lay down, but I wouldn't open another one this young.
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2/27/2023 - redknife Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank but don’t remember when
Nice wine
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2/27/2023 - redknife Likes this wine: 91 Points
At home for dinner with friends
Cold cuts and sandwichon caliente
Wine is delicious typical Tempranillo nose
With tart cherries young with nice acidity
Excellent qpr
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2/24/2023 - Ölprinz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bläst mich heute nicht ganz so weg wie beim ersten Mal, mundet aber dennoch außergewöhnlich gut. Besticht mit vielschichtiger Nase nach dunklen und roten Früchten, leicht marmeladig, mit feiner, verführerischer Süße. Dazu Kräuter, dezent animalisch, florale Anklänge, sowie feine Holz- und Vanillenoten. Am Gaumen fruchtig, würzig, heller Tabak, sattes Volumen, kraftvoll, unheimlich weiche Textur und perfekt balanciert. Elegant und komplex mit geschmeidigem Nachhall. Gerne wieder!
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2/19/2023 - BWhite110 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious. A&B like it. Had with roast chicken
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2/19/2023 - fraundor wrote: 91 Points
- Ruby color.
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2/17/2023 - Ruach Likes this wine: 89 Points
Some purple fruit, a hint of cinnamon and leather. Burgundy color.
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2/7/2023 - fraundor wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color.
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2/5/2023 - jpwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
I enjoyed this wine--
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1/31/2023 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Birrira Tacos and Rioja (Gautum's, Portland, Oregon): This was decanted for a few hours before drinking. The nose is hyper-classic Rioja in all its glory with vanilla beans, dill, sour cherries, raspberries, herbs, spice notes, strawberries, fresh leather, and rose petals. The Medium bodied feel is silky and refined with tart, medium+ acidity and youthful, medium+ tannins. The structure shows off a fair bit of youth still, though the feel is poised, balanced, and polished. This can definitely use a few more years to really round into form and will have a very long life ahead of it. This is an absolute steal for the cellar at under-$50.
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1/30/2023 - M.Y. Chong Likes this wine:
Very sweet nose. Truffled? Maybe also influenced by the oak.
Nice palate if a bit one dimensional.
Resolved tannins with good acidity.
Vina Ardanza is always a solid wine.
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1/30/2023 - redknife Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured
At home with fried seafood
No tasting notes but wine is a great qpr
Full body with nice velvety fruit and leather
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1/29/2023 - Ivin wrote:
This wine probably has some merit but I just cannot handle the oak. I knew I was in trouble upon pulling the cork and coconut aromas immediately overwhelmed my senses. I cannot imagine the oak ever coming into balance.
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1/25/2023 - mwneil Likes this wine: 94 Points
Superb balanced wine, medium body, smooth tannins, excellent pure fruit, complex flavors, drank at AC restaurant $95, drank with Spanish tapas, would drink again.
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1/24/2023 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a young Ardanza. Best kept in the cellar. But it’s still a very characterful (and fine) wine now.
Underneath the dense tempranillo fruit, American oak, acid and tannin there is leather and tea leaves.
Give a serious decant and breathe Enjoy.
Higher points in 5+ years.
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1/22/2023 - PSJ91 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bør lagres lengre for å integrere eiken bedre
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1/21/2023 - Kpivari Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gorgeous
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1/18/2023 - bjbu Likes this wine: 91 Points
Intensity medium. Very rich in aromas: ripe black fruit (cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, plum), oak, vanilla, liquorice, herbal, coffee, leather. Acidity medium(+), tannins medium(+), long finish. Decanted for about 4 hours. The wine is very pretty, nice balance between primary, secondary elements and additional development in the bottle. Good to drink now, but certainly up for a further number of years in the cellar.
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1/14/2023 - rrasmuss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Did not take detailed notes but it was good
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1/7/2023 - Moroo Likes this wine: 88 Points
브리딩3시간정도 필요할듯하다.
한참두니 향이 피어나고 부드러워짐
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1/5/2023 - matthewmcg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great value. Really tasted great after a few days slow oxidation in the fridge. Leather, spice.
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1/3/2023 - henbjo wrote: 86 Points
Pnp er det mye eikepreg, kaffe og mørk sjokolade. Etter 1 time åpning er det tydeligere tempranillofrukt med kirsebær og plomme (kanskje), fortsatt kaffe og sjokolade. Lakris og blomster med enda litt mer tid. Middels fylde, lett søtlig eikepreg i finishen som er ganske lang. Den er veldig mye bedre og balansert enn 2018 Alberdi fra i går, om enn litt Parkerisert denne også. Bør være på topp om 5-7 år til.
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12/26/2022 - M.A.Wyatt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic. Big oak on the first day. Developed into a rich, fruity, and balanced wine with a little time.
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12/25/2022 - ricard Likes this wine: 95 Points
An absolute stunner of a classical Rioja. Soaring nose of cherry jam, leather and a hint of moist pipe tobacco. Fleshy, juicy, caressing, giving. Every sip and glass is pure joy, pure pleasure, pure happiness. The quintessence of Rioja - serious - but exuberantly celebrating life and beauty. A timeless classic.
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12/22/2022 - lomartin@protonmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aging beautifully, now 7 years old. Aromas of leather, earth and oak, well balanced on the nose. Take time to enjoy the aroma! First notes on tha palette are berry followed by leather and later oak. The time in the oak for this réserva adds nicely to its character. The drinkability range for this wine has plenty of space as it is not yet peaked or demonstrating tertiary notes. I would say it has another good 5 years for sure. Moderate tannins and alcohol, all well balanced. Medium length finish. Definitely a fan and my normal bid is toward aged Bordeaux.
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12/17/2022 - jonathanknowles Likes this wine: 89 Points
Red fruit, red cherry and cranberry, oak, a touch of vanilla. Leathery. Good balance of tart fruit, round oak and ripe tannin. Medium bodied. Still tastes young. Lovely.
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12/4/2022 - vino vidi vici Does not like this wine:
Way too much oak - disappointing... detracts from the terrific fruit underneath. Will have to be cellared for 10 years and decanted for a whole day before you can even get near it... bummer.
Some Rioja's have fallen into the Parker trap and this is definitely one of them!
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11/30/2022 - Lammas21 wrote: 90 Points
On the nose red fruit, some oak and vanilla and a hint of liquorice and meat. High and dry so lots of structure, quite pronounced flavours I thought - red cherry, herbs giving a hint of sweet winter cough medicine. Also charred oak, sweet vanilla and hint of creaminess, slight taste of meat from bottle ageing. With good structure I’ll be cellaring the other bottles. Very good - great value!
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11/28/2022 - jroberts86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
delicious! simple complexity. Perfectly ripe fruit with dry red fruit tones, balanced profile and a touch of minerality, modest finish.
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11/26/2022 - Vinoguy wrote: 92 Points
Consumed over two nights.
Night 1 - fruit forward - cherries, dried herbs, pepper and spice. Good concentration and balance means it's easy to drink.
Night 2 - stored airtight at room temperature. It's gained some weight and the tannins are more pronounced and not as easy to drink without food. It's more brooding than backward but still appealing due to the intensity of primary fruit.
Verdict: lay down five more years. Drink from 2028 - 2035+ I'd say.
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11/20/2022 - jtreger wrote: 92 Points
Cherry, dill, a little leafy tobacco, and some baking spices on the nose. Palate continues the cherries and spice, with nice prominent acidity and some fine tannins. Finish is medium length. Very nice now, will improve with age. Great quality for price, will definitely be buying more.
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11/12/2022 - Fronko wrote: 88 Points
Doft: vanilj, dill, tobak, mörk frukt, örtigt (typ rosmarin).
Fylligt och kraftigt, bra balans.
Helt klart ett bra vin men Rioja verkar inte riktigt vara min region.
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11/11/2022 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
This showed great with roast chicken. Loads of sweet vanilla on the nose, but balanced with cherry and plum fruit. Well balanced with a long finish. Excellent.
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11/9/2022 - chrisk525 Likes this wine: 91 Points
earthy, medium fine tannins, dry, dark berries, hints of tobacco, medium-full body, medium acidity.
Tasting next to a 2010 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia. Compared to the Tondonia, it's more full bodied, bit more acidic, a little less earthy.
Both very nice, and the Vina Ardanza is just as enjoyable as the more expensive Vina Tondonia. Both have depth and complexity and is a step or two above a daily sipper.
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11/5/2022 - Genghis88 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened, decanted, and consumed over 13 hours
Purple hue to this wine, with an ox blood core.
Sangre, dark fruit, some oak.
Tanin s balanced. Longish finish. Nice acidity. Slightly aggressive mouthful.
A really nice, well priced wine that should improve with age.
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10/30/2022 - phrygianmode Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose somewhat restrained at first. Then cedar, dried sour cherry, dill, vanilla almost like pralines n cream ice cream. Well integrated.
Palate sour cherry and vanilla with fine tannins and long finish. Medium acidity. Very nice, would be better with more expressive nose and palate.
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10/29/2022 - CHINACAT wrote: 90 Points
From a 375ml. Ripe dark fruit, quite rich and full, with some spice and oak. Already approachable in this format, but lacks some depth.
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10/28/2022 - frleon Likes this wine: 98 Points
Duftig, voll, satt. Vorne ähnlich Carraovejas Kirsche, Beeren, Süße, Kakao; hinten überraschende Akzente (die kurz und kräftig aufleuchten) von Braten, Liebstöckel, Nüssen; weich und warm und wunderbar.
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10/26/2022 - cephomer wrote: 89 Points
J$ supplied for Xmen blind tasting last nite. No decant. This is a good example of the international, modern-style riojas that are out there.
Purplish color with slight orange at the edges. Nose exudes aromas of vanilla, wood & red berries. Out of bottle, tasted a bit sweet tho that changed over time. There's plenty of fruit here, but also lots of oak, high acidity level and bitter tannins at the back end. It's 14.5% alcohol level is also intrusive. Most enjoyed this wine more than I did as I found the excessive oak and alcohol a bit off-putting. I had a hard time figuring what and where this wine came from, tho some guessed correctly that it was from Spain. Not a bad wine, but just not my cup of tea stylistically-speaking
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10/26/2022 - Andrew Vaughan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great QPR, nice balance of fruit, wood, acid, and tannin.
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10/20/2022 - jarthars Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped a bottle straight out of the box when it arrived from the vendor - did not disappoint. Great value classic Rioja perfect for delicious schlurping without being too fancy.
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10/19/2022 - Michael Hung Likes this wine: 90 Points
Vinum La Rioja Alta SA Tasting: [Vinum La Rioja Alta SA Tasting]
Med+/Pronounced intensity, ripe red fruit, cherry, strawberry, mushroom, sous bois, spices. Med/Med+ finish with med+ tannins. Big ripe juicy red fruit with decent attack and complexity. Needs time, 89-90 right now.
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10/12/2022 - Lee Fining Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium garnet red. Rich red fruit nose in a pleasant oak background. Notiable, smooth tannins showing this wine is aging nicely. Bright red fruit flavors.
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10/12/2022 - Richard123 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Previous review captured it...!
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9/24/2022 - Lanzelot Likes this wine: 94 Points
The color is deep ruby-garnet. On the nose there are pronounced aromas of ripe blackberries, black cherries and black plum, strawberries, coffee, black chocolate, smoke, leather, dry leaves. It is developing. On the palate the wine is dry. The acidity is high. The tannins are ripe and medium(+). The alcohol is high and the body is full. On the palate the flavours are pronounced and the characteristics are similar to aromas on the nose. Additionally, there is vanilla. The finish is very long. This is another outstanding Ardanza. It's extremely well balanced and very complex. This power and this freshness - just great! Compared to the 2012, the 2015 is more elegant. Probably, elegant is not the right expression for a Ardanza. I prefer the 2015 but it's a matter of taste. Glass I used: Zalto Universal.
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9/17/2022 - Patrik Mellstrom Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dry, full body, high alcohol, medium plus acidity and tannins, pronounced intencity and high complexity. Well balance with long finish. Ripe cherry, plum, chocolate , tobacco , vanilla.
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9/16/2022 - Francis63 wrote: 85 Points
Mörka bär och len. Smakar inte så ekat och stor skillnad mot ribera el duro. Mycket god
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9/14/2022 - elfort wrote: 92 Points
Vina Ardanza 2015 Kokostop, smörkola, svartpeppar, röd och mörk frukt. Vanilj och torkade katrinplommon. Tydlig ek och riktigt pigg och lång syra. Poppis här i familjen.
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9/10/2022 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark red color. Coconut, vanilla, and dark fruit bouquet. Medium-bodied , smooth, lashes of oak, but the underlying fruit still shines through. Moderate length. Mature, soft and round flavor.
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8/29/2022 - L Klaybor Likes this wine: 92 Points
I really enjoyed this wine last night with dinner (Ribeye & stuffed Bella mushrooms). Rich flavors, a bit of earthy spice and great leathery smooth finish. I will restock this one for sure.
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8/13/2022 - rraaffaa Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is really great, still young but was very complex, more tobacco and earth than usual, interested to see how this will age
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8/12/2022 - Stoic Warrior Likes this wine: 91 Points
Initially, alcohol and acidity mask everything else. Aerated 2 hours and much improved. Complex spices, subtle balsalmic and sweet mixed fruits, well integrated oak and tannins. Well balanced. Great food wine.
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8/9/2022 - WojteG Likes this wine: 96 Points
4 years ago I had 2008 vintage. I have red my notes and definitely 2015 is different in my humble opinion. I didn't detect aromas of tobacco, tea or herbs. 2015 is full of fruits and spice. Very strong smell of red cherry, blue berry, strawberry, also coke and sweet spices(?).
Anyway complex, intrigued and complicated 😎
Let's go to the best part of the juice. Flavors are complex, intrigued and complicated 😎
According my review of 2008 there was a lot of red fruits
Not in the 2005!
The wine is definitely on sweeter side of dry, red wine, but a lovely spice is all over here and tannins and acidity are very well integrated in this body.
Texture is milky with a lot of coffee, cocoa, black cherry, tabacco and who knows what else ( black chocolate?)
Long, bright finish with lovely spices, grippy, but soft tannins and something sweet and something sour
Go figure 🤠
$25 wine
I can't remember better wine with this QPR ratio.
And I can't find any fault in this wine, hence...in my World of Wine is among the best!
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8/4/2022 - ejboone Likes this wine: 91 Points
Appearance - deep red almost brown, ruby color.
Aroma - pronounced red/dark Fruits, cherry, raspberry, blackberry. Some spice and anise. Mild vanilla. Alcohol is apparent
Taste - balanced fruit/oak character. Fruit flavors follow the nose of cherry, blackberry. Some baking spices through the mid palate transitioning to more vanilla and oak in the finish. Moderate acidity. Alcohol is warming but not unpleasant.
Body - medium body with restrained tannin. Long lasting finish
Overall - very pleasant drinking wine, balanced with moderate acidity, would pair well with food, though high ABV may overwhelm more delicate dishes.
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7/13/2022 - jonboy74 wrote:
Bottle variation on these is higher than I am accustomed to on prior vintages. This bottle had an almost overwhelming note of vanilla. Prior bottles it was more in check but this is the 2nd now out of 8 bottles that had this. Other than that, it was all good. No score for this, just beware of bottle variation with this vintage.
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7/7/2022 - AleksanderDye Likes this wine: 89 Points
Trenger masse luft, dag 1 to glass, dag 2 flere glass og dag 3 siste glasset og den beste vinopplevelsen. 2010 trenger fortsatt mye luft så 2015 bør ligge i kjelleren en del år og luftes veldig godt!
Ung, men balansert og frisk, en del vanilje fra fatbruk, men dette blir nok mer integrert med tiden. 2010 har ikke vaniljefatpreg på samme måte. Denne har godt med røde frukter som saftige kirsebær, fat, noe krydder
Kan hende denne vokser med et par poeng med tiden
potensiale til 91-92?
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7/1/2022 - ThijsV Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dinner at Restaurant 273 (Oudegracht, Utrecht): Not as much oak as the previous (.375) bottle i had (where size may have played a role?); vanilla dille, cherries, pipe tobacco. Needs more time
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7/1/2022 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Dark fruit, vanilla, sweet spices, tobacco on the nose. Very generous and mellow on the palate, good acidity, dusty tannins, fine length. Delicious! 92-94
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6/25/2022 - Sean McGrath wrote: 92 Points
Dark, smooth, nicely balanced. The typical Ardanza balsam, woodsy. Not as good as the 2012, but very nice.
Decanted 1.5 hours.
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6/24/2022 - Wwinowillie Likes this wine: 90 Points
Red fruits, tobacco, vanilla, and oak round out the nose.
Light bodied a little spicy and not very dry. Red cherry and slight toasted marshmallow with a little tobacco smoke in the finish. The mouthfeel is really interesting, this is a good wine
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6/23/2022 - Carl W. Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great value
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6/23/2022 - caspernick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Moxie and I are moving house next week so we are raiding the freezer and drinking all the un-tried wines. Tonight is grilled Hangar steak and this Tempranillo from Spain. Deep garnet colored, it shows its age and it's 14.5% ABV with some thick legs in the glass. The nose is beautiful aged Rioja. Leather, tobacco, dried blackberry, stewed black plum, dark chocolate, game and prune. The palate is dry and tart with fine grained, well integrated tannins. Full bodied, this wine coats my mouth with flavors of dried and stewed black fruits, charred oak and dried, dusty bramble. The leather and tobacco are still evident as is some red fruit; stewed strawberry? The finish is medium in length and the fine tannins are tickling the roof of my mouth. I like this wine but feel it is at peak if not slightly past, which is quite young for a Reserva. 92 points for this $30 bottle makes it a 5 star effort, drink till 2025.
https://wp.me/p125DB-2Jd
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6/19/2022 - jaydoodah Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark fruit, tobacco, forrest floor. Wonderfully smooth, complex, really enjoyed it.
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6/17/2022 - sjw_11 wrote: 90 Points
Only a brief note but this is classic Ardanza and typical of the house style. Elegant in a deeply wooded, varnish type of presentation. Quite rich. Maybe not the finest vintage of this label but pretty good. Certain to be long lived.
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5/30/2022 - richshoes wrote: 90 Points
Elegant and feminine, soft with length. A little bit uneven and not as majestic as I would like. Cherry, raspberry and hints of dark fruit
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5/22/2022 - tomwrodgers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful Rioja. Dark cherry, tobacco, cedar. Got pencil shavings on the second night almost like a Cabernet. Enjoyed immensely.
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5/21/2022 - alphalam Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of red fruit, dill, vanilla oak. Palate is intense red fruit followed up by oak and Ardanza signature spiciness. Not as earthy as I would like. And lacks a bit of acidity compared to 2012. The wine is still very primary and needs a good couple of years to integrate.
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5/20/2022 - zachb1125 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Initially seemed tight, returning to the glass several hours later. In retrospect, would have decanted. First time experiencing such a noticeable difference.
Nose: Rich and earthy, smoke, leather, pine, maybe slightly herbal even.
Palate: Medium body and acidity, medium+ tannins? Lots of fruit up front, still seems tight. Earthy notes follow, fading to oak, vanilla, dark chocolate, and coffee.
Delightful wine, it seems much better-balanced than the CVNE. I like the reined-in oak. The fruit and savory notes are well-structured, more in harmony than contrasting. This might be my first time identifying how young a wine is and being able to see how further ageing would be beneficial.
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5/14/2022 - P.Graff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very dark luscious red.inviting nose, tobacco , vanilla , red fruit . Smoky, semi dry, complex and long. A sophisticated acidic kick in the end. Will definitely stock up on this. Me gusta
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5/12/2022 - forceberry wrote: 80 Points
A blend of Tempranillo (78%) from Cuesta and Montecillo vineyards that average 30 years in age and Garnacha (22%) from La Pedriza vineyard planted at high altitude in La Rioja Baja. Fermented and macerated in stainless steel, aged in stainless steel tanks until March 2016. The Tempranillo wines were aged for 36 months in American oak barriques averaging 4 years old and the Garnacha wines were aged for 30 months in 2nd and 3rd use American oak barrels. Blended and bottled in September 2019. 14,5% alcohol, 5,4 g/l acidity and pH 3,64. Tasted half-blind from a magnum.
Deep, luminous and only slightly translucent dark ruby color with a youthful blueish hue. The nose feels sweet and quite dark-toned with intense aromas of ripe dark plums, some vanilla, a little bit of juicy blackcurrant, light strawberry tones and a toasty hint of chocolatey mocha oak. The wine is dense, chewy and quite extracted on the palate with a very full body and concentrated flavors of ripe blueberry-driven dark fruits and blackcurrant jam, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of Bourbon caramel and vanilla, light strawberry notes, a buttery hint of diecetyl and a chocolatey touch of mocha oak. The wine is surprisingly round and mellow with quite soft medium acidity and quite ripe and friendly medium tannins that contribute relatively little to the structure. The finish is rich, weighty and quite juicy with some alcohol warmth and a rather long aftertaste of strawberry jam, some vanilla-and-caramel notes of Bourbon, a little bit of blackcurrant, light chocolate blueberry milkshake nuances, a buttery hint of diacetyl and a touch of very ripe plummy fruit.
I was shocked to learn this was Ardanza when the wines were revealed. In a lineup where many of the wines came from Ribera del Duero, this wine seemed much bigger, heavier and softer in comparison with a lot more emphasis on very ripe fruit flavors of rather pronounced oak. This is in no way a classic Ardanza - we had a vertical of Ardanza 2004-2009 only a little while ago and this wine bore no resemblance whatsoever to those wines. The alcohol alone had gone up from the normal 13,5% to 14,5% and the overall style was noticeably softer, sweeter and oakier. I find it really hard to believe the wine uses only used American oak barrels as this wine was not just about the classic Rioja vanilla, but there was also a lot of toasty Bourbon caramel and chocolatey mocha character. I had to return to this wine after it was revealed and even knowing what wine I was drinking, I did not feel this was Ardanza. This is more like a soft, hot-vintage entry-level modernist wine from Priorat or Ribera del Duero. Normally I'm a fan of Ardanza, but while not undrinkable, I found very little enjoyment in this particular vintage. A sweet, soft and ponderous effort and quite a big let-down.
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5/10/2022 - chatters wrote:
Cru Wines Trade Tasting (Bentley Bar & Restaurant, Sydney): Savoury, slightly meaty, oak more restrained than the Alberdi, red hued fruits, a touch of tobacco leaf, slight vanilla. In the mouth it’s juicy, savoury, fleshy, with red fruits, soft tannins, youthful simplicity. Pretty good.
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5/10/2022 - KAT9 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very fruity and tannic this time. Also showing classic Vina Ardanza characters. Really good QPR.
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5/4/2022 - Madera16 wrote:
Very good, felt lighter than the ‘12, Jose Luis said ‘15 was more classic. I think color was lighter too, at least from memory. This was great.
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5/3/2022 - jmarwedel wrote:
Loaded wrong wine
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5/1/2022 - Blind-Tasting wrote: 75 Points
Leider völlig inakzeptabel. Traurig da keine Idee klassischer Rioja mehr. Keine Hoffnung das im Alter sich das ändert. Kein Holz und keine Rioja typizität. Blindprobe von Rioja Spezialisten als Pinot getippt. Schade!
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4/23/2022 - Mondarin Likes this wine: 92 Points
La Rioja Alta is such a damn reliably great producer. This is the 2015 Viña Ardanza Reserva, the mid-range offering in their line. 78% Tempranillo and the rest Grenache., matured for up to 3yrs in newer American Oak.
This was a strong, powerful (14.5% abv) wine with unmistakable traditional rioja character of toasted coconut, vanilla spice, dill, dark red and some black fruits. Skillfully exposed to oxygen. Impressive intensity and yet, still elegant.
The wine is balanced, multi-dimentional, and complex already but still skews towards primary/secondary flavors of fruit and winemaking. Long runway ahead still to develop tertiary characters on the impressive structure of medium + acid and ripe, medium + tannin.
All this for just $30. Great Value and drinking extremely well right now. So satisfying with a grilled a steak.
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4/22/2022 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
At Hotel Vincchi La Plantación del Sur, Costa Adeje, Tenerife. From half-bottle. Medium to dark ruby colour. Red and dark berries, red cherry, raspberry, dill, herbal notes, freshly ground coffee, cocoa, spices and vanilla, with good, medium-level acidity, and great length of the cocoa bitter finish. Good concentration. Quite ripe, like many of the recent vintages of La Rioja Alta‘s wines. Probably not the longest-lived vintage of Ardanza Reserva, but very enjoyable now, and the wine should continue to develop well for twenty years. Good value. Pair with a grilled rib-eye steak for now.
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4/21/2022 - Gregboch wrote: 96 Points
This is a fantastic wine. Aroma is really complex and heavy in the nose. Earthy, vanilla, licorice and dark fruit.
Body is rich, yet silky smooth. Flavor does follow the Aroma with plenty of vanilla & licorice with a moment of pepper and blackberry.
As it opens some smoke makes itself known. The finish is a light jammy with lots of blackberry
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4/12/2022 - kristen.jomas Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mørk rød frukt, plommer, eik og sau. Tydelig snerp, godt integrert. Fyldig og evig lang. Mye tørrstoff.
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4/9/2022 - ThijsV wrote: 90 Points
Dinner Restaurant Terroir (Utrecht): [Restaurant purchase, PnP from .375] This needs more time or more air. Fruit is definitely there, but it was hidden under a thick blanket of American Oak.
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4/8/2022 - Elvis1969 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Perfekt flaska, mycket bättre än den flaska jag provade några dagar tidigare.
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4/2/2022 - Elvis1969 wrote: 87 Points
Behöver mycket luft för att komma till sin rätt. Svag flaska?
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4/1/2022 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Day 1: Classic Ardanza. One of not the most consistent wine vintage to vintage. This is amazing on a pop and pour. Always swirl though. Perfume, roasted meat, dill, oak, stone, spice and floral notes. Flavorful and medium plus finish. I will be buying more of this in an instant. Outstanding value for under $30. 93 points
Day 2: Not nearly as good. Lost some of the complexity and funkiness from day 1. For sure not a good day 2 wine. 84 points
Recommendation: I believe this will age in the cellar but not as long as some of the other vintages. The wine was wonderful out of the gate with no decant.
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3/27/2022 - Jpaar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium ruby with red base. Shows no ageing at this point. Intense nose with blackberry, cherry, dill, milk chocolate, vanilla. Cigar box and cedar on palate. Medium+ acidity and tannins, dry, full body. Rich but a bit all over the place now. Will improve but already very enjoyable.
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3/24/2022 - KAT9 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Red fruits, cherry, something vinyl about this wine, very similar and consistent with other vintages. Floral, herbal. On the palate, nice acidity, medium tannin. Balanced. Enjoyable. Not as good as young 2010 either. Similar to 2012.
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3/15/2022 - Christian von Dresky wrote: 90 Points
Very good, nearly as usual but very ready to drink, even so it's young. Fleshy strawberry, quite dark and with a good structure, which may be a result of the very warm and dry weather in 2015. Ready to go and has at least 10 years to go.
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2/3/2022 - SommTumDer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannins but smooth, medium full body. Red fruit with cedar and tobacco.
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1/22/2022 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
Aged Tempranillos from Rioja and Ribeira - Virtual wine tasting (Skype): Wine 6 of 6. Medium ruby colour. Beautiful red fruit, raspberry, dill, herbal notes, spices, light tobacco, with lively acidity, ripe, fine tannin that is chewy in a positive way, and very good length. Good structure and grip at the front and the end, juicy if maybe a little less structured and grippy in the middle which might become an issue as the wine ages. Integrated and very drinkable on days two and three. Polished.
Should develop well over the medium term, but might not last for the very long term. Good value. 91(?)
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12/25/2021 - m4rk Likes this wine:
Gorgeous sweet nose of vanilla, pipe tobacco, herbs, cherries and plums; smokey and meaty. Deliciously and deceptively light in body, it has a lovely fresh acidity and a persistent finish. The oak is very present- I don’t like overly oaked wines, though somehow this works so well. Exception proves the rule! Lovely stuff
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11/18/2021 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
La Rioja Alta — N&P zoom tasting (Zoom): 78% Temp / 22% Garnacha. Quite intense, slightly high toned nose. Brighter and more red fruited. Positive attack, and more classically Ardanza on the palate. Just a hint of warmth in the finish though. Good acidity. Slightly compressed through the mind palate to finish. A whiff of VA starting to show. Ripe. Not sure about the abv here — a different recipe these days. ***1/2
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11/16/2021 - macaujames Likes this wine: 94 Points
94/95. Has aromas of shale infused raspberries, plums, cherries +strawberries+ clovey hints. This has impressive depth on the full medium bodied solid multi dimensional zingy lightly clovey blue and red fruits palate and ends with very long length. 14.5%. Excellent value at 24 Euros. Needs 9-12 hrs aeration. Lay down 10/15 years+. This is as good as the 2010 or even better! I would prefer for this to be at 13/13.5% alcohol. I can drink this a glass at a time! Went well with lamb fillet done rare and patatas bravas.
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10/31/2021 - Kubiskisk Does not like this wine:
This was really difficult to rate, unsure if the bottle was ok.
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