"A rich nose of raspberry, crushed strawberry, blueberry, coconut, cedar & sweet spice / fine tannins & fresh acidity. Creamy, balanced & layered / Long & polished."
-James Suckling, 96 Points
"Intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe black raspberry, cherry cola, potpourri, tobacco & exotic spices / Finishes extremely long & spicy"
-Vinous, 94 Points
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From the legendary producer of THIS Icon: |
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Retail Price: $43.00 btl
Online Average: $39.00 btl
Lowest CA: $35.00 btl
Our Sale: $34.99 btl
- Perennially the BEST Rioja Buy & GOLD STANDARD
- Consistently in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of the Year
- Cellar-worthy release but can drink now
- Lowest price in California
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Hello friends,
"Quite simply, these are some of the finest Riojas that can grace your cellar: complex, refined, classic but without compromising fruit intensity and to reiterate: wines that speak about where they come from." – Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I had to start with the Wine Advocate quote above because Neal Martin articulates the point we're trying to say but in far fewer words. I'm also an average writer — and sometimes I struggle trying to describe wines that are so stratospherically above-average!!!
The TLDR is La Rioja Alta is one of Spain's the world's greatest and most beloved wineries. For 132 years (since 1890) they've made classically elegant and polished Rioja wines that are always released after many years aging in their cellars. They do all the work, you don’t pay the price. It’s a perfect arrangement.
Regarded by many as the greatest Rioja wines ever, they offer insanely high-quality for prices so low they seem like typos.
For those of you not familiar with the finest Rioja wines, the 2015 Vina Ardanza is a great initiation into the classics. The wine spent three years in barrel and then, once bottled, another three years aging in the bodega's cellars. The result is a wine that is drinking extremely well today, almost a decade from the vintage...plus it will continue rounding off its fine bouquet in the bottle over time.
This is a brilliant investment for your cellar but so delicious to drink now and whenever you please. Wines with this much pedigree rarely come at such a gentle price.
Given the latest superlative scoring, we expect this one to sell out early as not a whole lot made it into the USA. We've already sold through our first tranche, but luckily have 10 more cases inbound from the container that just checked in — so please do get in touch as soon as you can! We'll help you secure one of the world's best buys in fine wine
Cheers,
—James Tran
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2015 La Rioja Alta
Vina Ardanza Reserva
96 Points - James Suckling:
"A rich nose of raspberry, crushed strawberry, blueberry, coconut, cedar and sweet spice. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins and fresh acidity. Creamy, balanced and layered with vibrant, spicy character. Long and polished. 80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha. Drink or hold." (11/22/21)
94 Points - Vinous:
"Deep magenta. An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe black raspberry, cherry cola, potpourri, tobacco and exotic spices, plus a smoky mineral flourish. Sweet and broad in the mouth, offering lush red and blue fruit, spicecake, mocha and coconut flavors that firm up on the back half. Finishes extremely long and spicy, with resonating florality, gently chewy tannins and lingering oak spice notes." -JR (4/21)
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Varietal Composition: 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha
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Alcohol: 13.5%
- 9,500 cases imported
- Lowest price in California
- 10 cases left
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Retail Price: $43.00 btl
Online Average: $39.00 btl
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+ FOUR (4) bottles left of the 2012 vintage:
2012 La Rioja Alta
Vina Ardanza Reserva
95 Points - James Suckling:
"Traditional and beautiful in character with plum, balsamic, orange-peel and leather aromas and flavors. It’s medium-to full-bodied with creamy texture and a long, intense aftertaste. Drink or hold." - (7 Oct, 2020)
94 Points - Decanter:
"Warming, nutty, complex Rioja with layers of fruit and a softness of dark cherry fruit on the palate. Soft tannins and elegantly poised with a long, savoury finish." (AH) (10/2020)
94 Points - Robert Parker's WA
93 Points - Vinous
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Varietal Composition: 78% Tempranillo and 22% Garnacha
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Alcohol: 13.5%
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Retail Price: $40.00 btl
Online Average: $39.00 btl
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Our Last Call Sale:
$34.99 btl
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