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Tasting Notes
酒評
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Garnacha is an important component in the 2012 Viña Ardanza Reserva, where it represents 20% of the blend (the rest is, of course, Tempranillo). 2011 was a difficult vintage for Garnacha, so Viña Ardanza was not produced that year and they jumped from 2010, which had the mention "Selección Especial," to 2012, where it returns to the regular Reserva. The wine is a prototype of polished and aged Rioja with a ruby color with some orange and a developed nose with subtle aromas of decayed leaves, sweet spices and some cherries in liqueur even, quite complex and harmonious. The palate is velvety but rich, with resolved tannins and a fine chalky mouthfeel, sleek and elegant, terribly balanced. The flavors are pure and defined, and there is an overall sense of harmony that I like very much. Brilliant Ardanza! They produced no less than 600,000 bottles of this wine, which is remarkable. It has been in bottle since March 2016, so it's very approachable but should also age nicely in bottle. Drink or keep.
Score : 94, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Oct 2020
Harvest:
One of the best for us in recent years. The reasons why: very favourable weather, vines in excellent condition, both in terms of development and health-wise, and very moderate production due to some shatter during flowering. So, we enjoyed ver loose, medium-sized clusters with smaller berries than in previous years. This was particularly the case with the Garnacha in finca La Pedriza, which produced highly aromatic wines thanks to greater varietal expression from this terroir. The official vintage rating was Excellent.
Elaboration:
The Tempranillo grapes (80%) come from our 30-year-old La Cuesta and Montecillo vineyards, located in Fuenmayor y Cenicero. The Garnacha (20%) comes from La Pedriza vineyard in Tudelilla (Rioja Baja). This 70 hectare property offers unbeatable conditions for growing this variety. Its nutrient-poor soil, covered with boulders, results in low grape yields and significant varietal typicity, rich in aromas, with a pleasant, elegant structure. We started picking in mid-October, manually and transported in refrigerated trucks to the winery. Alcoholic fermentation took place naturally. Malolactic concluded at the end of the year. In March 2011, the selected wines were put in barrels to start ageing separately: the Tempranillo for 36 months with six manual rackings in American oak barrels averaging 4 years in age and the Garnacha for 30 months with five manual rackings in American oak barrels with two and three wines. The final blend took place after barrel ageing was completed. The wine was bottled in May 2015.
Food Pairing:
Roasted lamb, red meats, barbecues, large game, spicy fish casseroles, smoked and aged cheeses.
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