96-98pt La Rioja Ardanza is BACK! "Greatest Since 1964." Already Cellared 7-11 Years. Legendary.
| Artisan Wine · Legendary Spanish Icon | ||||||||||||||||
|
La Rioja Alta · Rioja, Spain · Est. 1890
Three Icons.
|
||||||||||||||||
904 Gran Reserva 2015 · "Best Since '64"
"It goes on and on. A real Rioja Gran Reserva and I recommend buying a case! So appealing now, but this will evolve well in the next 20 years."
|
La Rioja Alta is one of the world's greatest and most beloved wineries. Since 1890, they have made classically elegant, polished Rioja wines always released after many years aging in their own cellars. They do all the work. You don't pay the price. It is a perfect arrangement.
Regarded by many as the greatest Rioja wines ever made, they offer insanely high quality at prices that seem like typos. The 904 Gran Reserva spends four years in barrel, then another four years in the bodega's cellars before release. The Ardanza ages three years in barrel before additional bottle aging. Even the Alberdi gets two years in American oak. This is a house that refuses to rush.
|
"Wines like this rarely come at such a gentle price. Reflecting the excellence of the vintage, as well as its power, this is the latest in a superb run. These wines can grace your cellar for years to come but are also so delicious to drink now. Best of all, collectors of both the Old and New World absolutely love them." — James Tran, Artisan Wine |
Rioja Alta's high-altitude vineyards & the estate's own cooperage — a combination no one else can replicate.
La Rioja Alta sources from high-altitude vineyards across the Rioja Alta sub-zone — Villalba, Briñas, Rodezno — where cooler temperatures extend the growing season and build natural acidity into the fruit. Critically, the estate operates its own cooperage, crafting the American oak barrels that give these wines their signature vanilla, spice and sandalwood character. That vertical integration is unique in Rioja and explains why no one else makes wines quite like these.
|
1890
Est. Rioja Alta
132 years of unbroken classical winemaking from the same estate, the same philosophy, the same commitment to patience over production. |
8 yrs
904 in the Bodega
Four years in American oak barrel, then four more years in bottle in the cellar before release. The winery ages the wine so you don't have to. |
Own
Cooperage
La Rioja Alta builds its own American oak barrels in-house — a rare distinction that gives these wines their unmistakable signature of vanilla, cedar, and spice. |
|
2020 La Rioja Alta
Rioja Alta · 100% Tempranillo · 40-yr-old Vines · Spain
Viña Alberdi Reserva |
from $22.97 Elsewhere: $29.00 |
| 1–5 btls $24.97 | 6–11 btls $23.97 | 12+ btls $22.97 |
Scores: 93 pts James Suckling · 93 pts Wine & Ratings Online · 92 pts Tim Atkin MW · 92 pts Wine Advocate · 91 pts Wine Spectator (#9 Best Value of 2024). Pure Tempranillo from 40-year-old vines, aged two years in American oak barrels from the estate's own cooperage. Approachable now and built to age through 2030.
|
93
James Suckling
A classical, typical Rioja Alta red with elegant notes of vanilla, coconut, smoked spices and strawberries. Refined and suave, with fine tannins and a long, creamy finish. Really approachable now.
|
91
Wine Spectator · #9 Best Value 2024
Hints of toast, smoke and spices lace flavors of soft cherry and plum fruit, mandarin orange peel and dried flowers and herbs. Well-knit, medium-bodied. Drink now through 2030.
|
|
2019 La Rioja Alta
Rioja · 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha · Older Vines · Spain
Viña Ardanza Reserva |
from $39.99 Elsewhere: $50.00 |
| 1–2 btls $44.99 | 3–5 btls $42.99 | 6+ btls $39.99 |
Scores: 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck · 94 pts Wine Advocate · 94 pts Decanter · 93 pts Vinous. A blend of 80% older-vine Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha — the Tempranillo aged 36 months in the estate's own American oak, the Garnacha 30 months with 20% new barrels. 2019 was a small crop of powerful, concentrated wines — Luis Gutierrez at Wine Advocate calls it "a modern version of 2015." The Ardanza is the beating heart of the La Rioja Alta range: richer and more complex than the Alberdi, more approachable than the 904, and — at $39.99 by the half-dozen — perhaps the single best value in all of Rioja.
|
96
Jeb Dunnuck
Highly impressive, full-bodied. The fruity nose of black cherry and plum complements beautifully against Garnacha's seductively spicy texture and mouthfeel. Lively, complex, and lengthy, with melty tannins. Age 10–15 years. 2025–2040.
|
94
Wine Advocate
Spicy, structured, balanced and powerful. For them, 2019 means a change in Ardanza, less spicy but with more fresh fruit from the Garnacha. A modern version of 2015. Drink 2025–2038. — Luis Gutierrez
|
|
|
94
Decanter
A super-classic and great interpretation of Rioja reserva. All the appealing sweet red berry fruit and American oak with serious structure and balance. Soft and inviting — surely a reference for reserva wines in the region.
|
93
Vinous Media
Cherry liqueur, black fruit and balsamic herbs alongside a touch of pepper. Dry, silky and just fresh enough. Polished tannins and a velvety feel. Balanced and expressive — a classic Rioja with a modern, fruit-driven flourish. Drink 2025–2045.
|
|
|
2015 La Rioja Alta
Rioja Alta · 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano · 40-yr-old Vines · Spain
"904 Selección Especial" Gran Reserva |
$99.97 Wally's: $115.00 |
| ⬤ Only 2 Cases in Stock | 3,200 cases imported nationally |
Scores: 98 pts James Suckling · 97 pts Peñin Guide · 96 pts Tim Atkin MW · 95 pts Wine Advocate · 95 pts Vinous. The first vintage La Rioja Alta labeled "Selección Especial" — reserved only for vintages they consider exceptional. A blend of 90% Tempranillo from Villalba, Briñas and Rodezno with 10% Graciano, aged four years in their own American oak barrels. 2015 is a vintage of profound balance and longevity.
|
98
James Suckling
Very impressive complexity and width. Savoriness with mushrooms, sandalwood, cedar, sweet spices, dried oranges, tobacco. Juicy, creamy finish lasting a minute. Really elegant and layered. It goes on and on.
|
96
Tim Atkin MW
This delightful 2015 is a felicitous cuvée of Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from higher-altitude vineyards. Classic sweet spices, fine tannins, layers of red and black fruits and chalky freshness.
|
|
|
95
Wine Advocate
Subtlety, elegance, finesse, delicacy and silk. A healthy vintage with balanced ripeness and good aging potential. One of the finest vintages. Drink 2024–2035.
|
95
Vinous Media
Sappy, penetrating and gently chewy. Vibrant, mineral and spice-accented black raspberry, bitter cherry, and rose pastille. Sharp focus and floral lift on the impressively long finish. Drink 2025–2036.
|
|
Classic Rioja at the table — versatile, food-loving, effortlessly elegant.
| Alberdi Grilled chorizo · Patatas bravas · Roast chicken · Tortilla española | Ardanza Roast lamb · Iberico pork · Aged Manchego · Mushroom risotto | 904 Gran Reserva Ox cheek stew · Game birds · Truffle dishes · Aged Idiazábal | ||
| Service All three: 60–64°F · Decant the 904 for 45–60 min · Ardanza 30 min · Alberdi 20 min · Bordeaux glass | ||||
132 years in the making. Three icons.
Alberdi from $22.97 · Ardanza from $39.99 · 904 Gran Reserva $99.97 (only 2 cases remain).
| Viña Alberdi 2020 — from $22.97 |
| Viña Ardanza 2019 — from $39.99 |
| 904 Gran Reserva 2015 — $99.97 |
Questions?
Chat with us → artisan.wine/?chat
Text us → 650-880-3553
Call us → 650-917-8080
Leave a comment