2001 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial- Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (4/9/2012)
So this is what a good bottle of this tastes like…Unlike the other half bottle I opened previously, this one was absolutely outstanding. Kept improving over the course of 4 days (yes, this was an exercise in academia of sorts). Dark cherry and black currant, lots of earth, dried herbs, orange peel and an almost saline note. Tremendously powerful on the palate despite being incredibly weightless/effortless on the palate. Finish just keeps on sailing. The only issue is obviously that there seems to be some significant bottle variation. That statement is based not only on my experience (one bottle amazing, one undrinkable), but also on a variety of notes I have read elsewhere describing the same level of disparity from one bottle to another. Definitely caveat emptor as I don’t have a clue how my remaining 3 standard bottles and 1 half bottle will perform.
Yes, my first four were average dominated by varnish like oak from memory. Then another four from a different retailer have been stunning! With an obvious long term future.
Ah, different retailer? Are we assuming major lot variation on this release? Or major bottle variation as steffenpelz suggests?
My only bottle drunk of this was also absurdly oaky, or so I thought. Then I kept reading very positive notes that described an elegant, balanced wine. Then Asimov’s column this week on traditional Rioja has the Ardanza as the best of the '01 Reservas. Then my local retailer - the same one I purchased the first bottle from - put them on sale, and I bought another three. Am I a glutton for punishment or just spinning the wheel of bottle-variation fate?
This is troubling. I’ve had this wine probably 3 times at tastings in the last year. The oak seemed a little strong at the first one but just struck me as needing some time. On the other 2 more recent occasions it was much better, more integrated, but still in need of time to realize its potential.
The tasting bottles came through SF Bay area distribution channels. My stash came from NYC channels. I guess I’ll have to pop one to see if my bottles have a problem.
I’ve tasted this twice; once with a friend, a bottle that was almost undrinkably awful - like barrel aged lemon juice; one at a walk-in tasting at a store that was a perfectly lovely Rioja. Go figure.
I coincidentally popped a bottle earlier in the week myself- not bad but nothing mindblowing on day one but by day two it had fallen apart. Sounds like quite a bit of bottle variation.
2001 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial- Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (4/14/2012)
Gorgeous nose of grilled meat, blackberry and red+black licorice. The palate doesn’t have quite the intensity of the nose, but shows a nice fruit/meat/earth balance, with well integrated tannins and acid. Not getting as much oak/tannins as others’ notes have mentioned. Nice wine, nearing if not at its prime. (89 pts.)