Viña Ardanza Reserva 2017 is a refined, vibrant Rioja blending Tempranillo and Garnacha, offering pure red-fruit aromas, warm spice and subtle balsamic notes. Silky and polished with balanced oak, fresh acidity and a long, savoury finish, it’s a modern expression of a classic style that drinks beautifully now and will age gracefully.

James Suckling | JS 95
Published: Aug 18, 2023

A more vibrant and fruitier expression of Ardanza this year with strawberries, mussels, warm spices and berries. Round and silky on the palate with lovely spices and a long, nicely saline finish. A nice touch of creaminess works really well here and further extends the finish. 80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha. Drink or hold.

The Wine Advocate | RP 94
Published: Feb 29, 2024
Drink: 2024-2034

2017 was not an easy harvest, but it produced some beautiful and classical wines, like the 2017 Viña Ardanza Reserva, which shows a little more advancement and polish and is ready to drink. It was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from their vineyard La Pedriza in Tudelilla. It fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in American oak barrels, 36 months for the Tempranillo and 30 for the Garnacha (that was harvested 15 days later), with six rackings. It's ripe and aromatic, tertiary, with 14.5% alcohol and mellow acidity, a medium-bodied palate and sleek tannins. It has a pungent note of clove and pepper, some licorice and ink and the cherries in liqueur from the Garnacha. An updated classical Ardanza. 600,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2021.

The Gran Reserva 904 carries the mention "Selección Especial" in the 2015 vintages for the first time in its 120 years of history. It follows the 2011 vintage and was released in April 2023. They now have 587 hectares of vineyard that allow them to produce 100% of the grapes they use for their 1.5 million bottles. This is one of the most traditional addresses in Rioja. and they release the wines quite late and have the equivalent of eight years in stock.

Jancis Robinson | JR 17.5+
Published: Feb 13, 2024
Drink: 2024-2047

Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha. Three years of barrel-ageing for the Tempranillo, 30 months for the Garnacha. Aged for a further three years in bottle. TA 5.3 g/l, RS 1.6 g/l.
Pale garnet. Perfumed, lifted and red-fruited. The tannins just melt into the very pretty red-fruit core, which has lots of purity, delicacy and bright freshness. The oak is present but balanced. The finish is earthy, with slight balsamic notes.

Riojalta.com

Iconic Vintage
The historic frost on April 28 affected some of our vineyards, but not our Tempranillo in Cenicero or our Garnacha in Tudelilla. Although the quantity produced for this label was lower than usual, ripening was perfect, allowing us to craft a Viña Ardanza with notable freshness and great aging potential thanks to a strong polyphenolic content. The wine is fine and elegant. For us, this is an EXCELLENT vintage, with an internal rating of 97 points. 

Grapes & Origins
Tempranillo (80%) from La Cuesta (Cenicero) and Montecillo (Fuenmayor), vineyards over 30 years old.
Garnacha (20%) from La Pedriza (Tudelilla – Rioja Oriental), vines ~17 years old at about 550 m altitude.
Soils: clay-limestone for Tempranillo; deep pebble soils for Garnacha.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Serve at 16–18 °C. 

Harvest & Winemaking
Hand harvest in boxes with initial selection in the vineyard; Garnacha was picked 15 days later. Grapes were refrigerated for quality preservation. After optical sorting, alcoholic fermentation (at 27 °C) and natural malolactic fermentation took place. 

Aging
Aged entirely in American oak barrels made in the winery:
36 months for the Tempranillo, 30 months for the Garnacha.
20% of the oak is new, and the rest previously held three wines. Five traditional rackings by candlelight were done to separate sediments gently and avoid harsh filtering. Bottled in March 2021. 

Tasting Notes
Color: Intense cherry red with a garnet rim.
Aroma: Powerful fruit (cherry, currant, red plum) giving way to balsamic and spice notes (pepper, licorice, clove, vanilla, toasted caramel, nutmeg).
Palate: Fresh and balanced with fine, silky tannins.
Finish: Long aftertaste combining red fruits and spices with a fresh, lingering character. 

Aging Potential
It has remarkable ageing potential, and is expected to improve significantly over the next twelve years.