TN: 2012 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva

[John_Glas]

• 2012 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (12/29/2021)
  Day 1: These wine remind me why I do the 3 day wine review thing. Previous poster did 4 hour decant and agree needs it. This on the pop and pour was a dill/wood overload so yes don’t rate it yet. Two hours in the glass getting wood, mild dill, raspberries, minerals, earth and dark chocolate. Excellent wine and probably better than the last time I sampled it. 93 points
  Day 2: Still tight and needs to open up. After an hour in the glass featuring wood, dill, exotic spices, raspberries, minerals and dark chocolate. If you don’t like Oak avoid this wine. For me excellent offering. 93 points
  Day 3: This is at its best. Lost some of the dill and wood which was heavy at times but still added to the wine. Raspberries, underbrush, dark chocolate, tobacco, minerals, mild dill and wood. Complex wine and one of the better under $30 wines I have sampled this year. 93+ points
  Recommendation: No doubt this wine will improve with some age. Really good now and needs a 4 plus hour decant if you are drinking it on day 1. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[Max_S1]

Did this vintage at a dinner, PNP was definitely less than pleasant - the dill/wood overload was too much

[John_Glas]

Did this vintage at a dinner, PNP was definitely less than pleasant - the dill/wood overload was too much

Hello you don’t pop and pour this wine. Read my pop and pour review on this.

[Ben_M_a_n_d_l_e_r]

Agreed on all fronts. This took at least 3 hours in the decanter to start tasting good. I can see why some would be put off on the pop & pour; my experience with the Ardanza has generally been that they drink better on release than this vintage does. Still, it has all the makings of a lovely wine in 5-10 more years.

[John_Glas]

Agreed on all fronts. This took at least 3 hours in the decanter to start tasting good. I can see why some would be put off on the pop & pour; my experience with the Ardanza has generally been that they drink better on release than this vintage does. Still, it has all the makings of a lovely wine in 5-10 more years.

Can’t beat the price at less than $30! Not too many better at that price.

[Mariano_Chiaramonte]

I bought a case in October last year hoping to track its evolution by drinking one bottle per year. Long story short, one year later I have four bottles left…
In general, I have to say that I’ve had the same experience as Ben Mandler, I’ve tasted every Ardanza on release since the 2000 vintage and they are usually ready to drink and way more forgiving when you just pop and pour them, but that has not been the case for the 2012 and specially for the 2010 vintages, nevertheless, still delicious, very difficult to keep my hands off it and a tremendous QPR (BTW, would you mind sharing where you got it at sub $30 with free shipping)

[John_Glas]

I bought a case in October last year hoping to track its evolution by drinking one bottle per year. Long story short, one year later I have four bottles left…
In general, I have to say that I’ve had the same experience as Ben Mandler, I’ve tasted every Ardanza on release since the 2000 vintage and they are usually ready to drink and way more forgiving when you just pop and pour them, but that has not been the case for the 2012 and specially for the 2010 vintages, nevertheless, still delicious, very difficult to keep my hands off it and a tremendous QPR (BTW, would you mind sharing where you got it at sub $30 with free shipping)

Disclaimer: I don’t work for WineBuyer.com (Bottle King) as some fools on WB have suggested. To MN if you buy a case of any of their free shipping wines it is $29.99 a bottle.