Style Profile at a Glance
| Attribute | Profile | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Medium-to-Full-Bodied, Velvety & Layered | ●●●●● |
| Sweetness | Dry | ●●●●● |
| Tannins | Silky, Fine-Grained & Seamless | ●●●●● |
| Acidity | Bright, Fresh & Racy | ●●●●● |
| Oak | Prominent & Classical (Aged 3 years in in-house manufactured American oak barrels) | ●●●●● |
Terroir, History & Acclaim
Critical Recognition:
James Suckling 95 pts
Wine Advocate 94 pts
- 95 Points - James Suckling: This wine exhibits aromas of incense, spices and red cherries. It is medium- to full-bodied, elegant and polished, with clarity of fruit and underlying precise tannins. This will age forever. Drink or hold.
- 94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The subtle, balsamic, structured and elegant 2020 Viña Ardanza Reserva is a blend of Tempranillo from Rioja Alta and around 20% Garnacha from Rioja Baja. It fermented destemmed in stainless steel and aged in American oak barrels, 20% of them new, for a period of 36 months in the case of the Tempranillo and 30 months for the Garnacha, then the two wines are blended before bottling. It's a textbook example of the label, with the perfume and elegance of the Garnacha and the clout from Tempranillo. It has clean aromas and is still quite fresh, only starting its tertiary phase. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol and keeps a pH of 3.57 and 5.7 grams of acidity. It's balanced, seamless and well-built, and its tannins are mostly resolved. It should live long in bottle. 500,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2024.
- The Rioja Alta & Rioja Oriental Dual Terroir: The Tempranillo (approx. 80%) is sourced from 30+ year-old estate vineyards in Fuenmayor and Cenicero in Rioja Alta, grown on calcareous clay soils that impart tension, finesse, and structure. The Garnacha (approx. 20%) comes from the estate's La Pedriza vineyard in Tudelilla (Rioja Oriental), planted on stony, alluvial riverbeds that deliver rich aromatic warmth, body, and ripe red fruit.
- Artisanal American Oak Elevage: Vinified separately with optical berry sorting and aged in American oak barrels hand-crafted by the winery’s own cooperage. The Tempranillo spends 36 months in barrels averaging 4 years of age, while the Garnacha rests for 30 months in 2- to 3-year-old barrels. Racked by hand by candlelight every six months, the final assemblage captures the pinnacle of traditional Rioja aging without losing fruit energy.
Highlights
- Classic Rioja blend of roughly 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from estate vineyards.
- Aged 3 years in house-coopered American oak with traditional candlelight rackings.
- A fresh, beautifully balanced 2020 vintage; prime drinking window 2025 through 2040+.
Tasting Notes
Deep garnet-red with a bright ruby rim, it opens with classic aromas of ripe red cherries, redcurrants, and wild strawberries, seamlessly layered with sweet coconut, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, cured tobacco, and dried cedar. The palate is medium-to-full-bodied, silky, and energetic, carrying vibrant red berry fruit over a framework of velvety, polished tannins and fresh balsamic acidity, concluding on a persistent, savory, and delicately spiced finish.
Serving Suggestion
- Temperature: Serve at 16–18°C in large Bordeaux glassware.
- Decanting: Decant for 30 to 45 minutes to allow its sweet spice and tertiary cedar aromatics to unfold. Best enjoyed from 2025 through 2040+.
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