2001 - La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial, Rioja

The 2001 Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from their vineyards in Fuenmayor and Rioja Baja respectively and it represents only the third vintage to be declared after 1964 and 1973. Aged in American cask for 36 months, it has a bucolic, natural bouquet of bright red cherries, balsamic, mint and a touch of dried honey all with superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful delineation and supple, lithe tannins. The acidity is very well judged and it leads to a pert, tense finish of bitter cherry, loganberry and licorice. This is an outstanding wine drinking perfectly now, but it should age effortlessly. Drink now-2030. La Rioja Alta formed part of my “classic Rioja” day that included Lopez de Heredia and Muga, the triumvirate of wineries in Haro all but a minute’s stroll from each other (which would have been fine, but for the spontaneous downpours). I have admired their wines for many years, Rioja that speaks so eloquently and with such clarity of their place. La Rioja Alta was founded in the town of Haro in 1890. They own 450 hectares of vineyard from which their entire portfolio is sourced, predominantly Tempranillo complemented by Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Another tenet is their use of American rather than French oak. The wood is cured for two years outdoors before being shaped and hammered into barrels at their own cooperage. Although the estate owns vines in Ribera del Duero and Rias Baixas (to be covered in later reports) I focused upon recent releases from their two Rioja lines: Torre de Ona and of course, La Rioja Alta itself. Quite simply, these are some of the finest Riojas that can grace your cellar: complex, refined, classic but without compromising fruit intensity and to reiterate: wines that speak about where they come from. Importer: various importers in the US, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300; Southern Wine & Spirits, www.southernwine.com, and The Cou

Deep red. Sexy, intensely perfumed bouquet of ripe raspberry and cherry with suggestions of potpourri, sandalwood and vanilla. Shows more power and darker fruits on the palate, picking up a touch of singed plum that adds a serious quality to the sweet black raspberry and cherry flavors without costing the wine any of its vibrancy. The long, sweet finish hangs on with very good tenacity. (I also had the chance to revisit some earlier vintages during my recent visit to La Rioja Alta. The 1995 Gran Reserva 890 is showing superb complexity right now, offering exotic floral and spice character and impressive bright minerality. It's destined for a very long life. The 1997 Gran Reserva 904 is more extroverted, showing a riper, darker cast to its fruit but with finesse to burn. There's no way I'd have guessed that these two wines were a decade and a half old.)

Bottled September 2005. Third Reserva Especial in history. 80% Tempranillo (aged in four-year-old American oak for 36 months) and 20% Garnacha (aged in 2- to 3-year-old American oak for 30 months). Best vintage ever, according to the winemaker, with a long ripening season. Deep, rich nose with cooked blackberry and spice, and still very youthful freshness to the fruit. Tremendous vanilla cream on the finish. Long, subtle, elegant. (RH)