La Rioja
Size & Type
Other
La Rioja
Showing of wines
Thrilled to be able to offer my thoughts on this special wine. Lunch with the full current release set from La Rioja Alta was thrilling. The wines are a demonstration of respect for the past and judicious use of modern technology combined with an approach that offer a style reminiscent of a refreshed classic. No fads here!The Ardanza is a ridiculous value. Coming on 10 years old. This is very good. The harmony and grape first tannin with layering of very subtle oak that wraps rather than in
With each step up through the range, the oak sophistication increases. Whilst clearly present in the Ardanza, it is much more sophisticated texturally. The 2019 Ardanza has a fresh line of acid. It's tight and quite vertical. Just starting to resolve. It still needs time to build expression and generosity. Saline with blue fuits. Linear shape and flow with excellent transparency. It's be intriguing to sit on a bottle over a couple of days and see where it ended up.Paul Kaan, Wine Decoded May
Well, here's something a little bit tasty. 17+ year old Rioja and in fine form. Access to gear with a little age on it is a treat! Urbina Reserva Especial 2006 is one of those wines that you can just nuzzle into, calming, reassuring, delicious.Plush, luscious, super fine, long tannins wrap a core of vibrant, ripe fruit layered with savoury, earthy, truffles and tea. A saline lick matching fine acid to give us a fresh, thirst-quenching wine. The complexity and secondary development here offer
With each step up through the range, the oak sophistication increases. Whilst clearly present in the Ardanza, it is much more sophisticated texturally. The 2019 Ardanza has a fresh line of acid. It's tight and quite vertical. Just starting to resolve. It still needs time to build expression and generosity. Saline with blue fuits. Linear shape and flow with excellent transparency. It's be intriguing to sit on a bottle over a couple of days and see where it ended up.Paul Kaan, Wine Decoded May
Urbina's 2004 Gran Reserva shows excellent development. One of those wines that requires some patience in the glass, building freshness with the passing of time. At the core fresh vibrant fruit and zippy acidity are at play. A little reduction blows of to reveal wonderful savoury flavours and an excellent mouthfeel with playful grip. A little sappiness and wild edge adding complexity.Loads of fun to be had here!Deep garnet. Aromas of ripe red berries, cherry pit and succulent herbs a
The first of the La Rioja Alta wines to receive Gran Reserva status. With last year's release, I didn't feel the quality difference from the Ardanza justified stocking another wine.With the release of the 2017 Arana we see a build in sophistication and restraint over the 2019 Ardanza. The additional age showing through in a more resolved wine. High-toned, greater integration of oak playing much more subtly, a lacing of American oak and texturally much more refined. Energy, freshness mainta
Thrilled to be able to offer my thoughts on this special wine. Lunch with the full current release set from La Rioja Alta was thrilling. The wines are a demonstration of respect for the past and judicious use of modern technology combined with an approach that offer a style reminiscent of a refreshed classic. No fads here!The Ardanza is a ridiculous value. Coming on 10 years old. This is very good. The harmony and grape first tannin with layering of very subtle oak that wraps rather than in
With each step up through the range, the oak sophistication increases. Whilst clearly present in the Ardanza, it is much more sophisticated texturally. The 2019 Ardanza has a fresh line of acid. It's tight and quite vertical. Just starting to resolve. It still needs time to build expression and generosity. Saline with blue fuits. Linear shape and flow with excellent transparency. It's be intriguing to sit on a bottle over a couple of days and see where it ended up.Paul Kaan, Wine Decoded May
Thrilled to be able to offer my thoughts on this special wine. Lunch with the full current release set from La Rioja Alta was thrilling. The wines are a demonstration of respect for the past and judicious use of modern technology combined with an approach that offer a style reminiscent of a refreshed classic. No fads here!Exceptional depth and length, wonderful core of vibrant red fruit flowing through with great persistence. Building the secondary proportion of flavours to fruit over the A
Powerful yet complete and fresh, beautifully developed, just shifting into the second phase. A very thoughtful élévage, structural tannins hitting front mid palate (from oak), still fine long. A lift of VA that blows off quickly. Lovely set of flavours. Oppulence. Rich, full, and round with immediate generosity. A case of celebrating the differences with the 2015 iteration.Paul Kaan, Wine Decoded May 2026I tased again the stellar 2016 Gran Reserva 904, which is nothing short of bei
I tased again the stellar 2016 Gran Reserva 904, which is nothing short of being spectacular and a textbook example of the grand traditional style. It was produced with 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from a selection of vineyards in search of balanced wines with silky tannins, good acidity, character, length and aging potential. The élevage is long, four years in used barrels that average 4.5 years of age, during which time the wine is manually racked every six months. It's ripe with 14.5% al
No wines match your filters
Try removing a filter or broadening your selection.
We couldn't load the wines just now.
You've seen all wines
wines