James Suckling 95
"Savory and complex with dried orange peel, cedar and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms and pine needles. Shows maturity here, with a medium body and superb freshness. Incredibly long finish with lots of truffle and walnut. Lasts over a minute. Very complete now, but you can still hold it."

Wine Advocate 94+
"The 2016 Viña Ardanza Reserva was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha that matured in used American oak barrels for three years, where it was hand-racked from barrel to barrel six times in the case of Tempranillo and five times for the Garnacha, as it had a slightly shorter élevage of 30 months. Against all odds, I found the 2016 to be fresher than the 2015 and less developed, despite the fact that winemaker Julio Sáenz told me he considers it a warmer year. But I have found many wines I like in 2016, and the wine feels very clean and quite harmonious, younger and less developed, with more primary notes and a velvety mouthfeel. 600,000 bottles produced. The wine was bottled in June 2020."

Decanter 94
"Huge tropical fruit, coconut, vanilla spice and black fruit aromatics with a superbly concentrated palate and long, grippy, velvety finish. Superb! (Silver) - DWWA 2022"

The Wine
The Tempranillo (78%) comes from 30-year-old vines in our Cuesta (Cenicero) and Montecillo (Fuenmayor) vineyards. The Garnacha (22%) comes from La Pedriza vineyard in Tudelilla (Rioja Oriental). We started picking these plots in mid-October. The grapes were harvested manually and transported to the winery in refrigerated vehicles. Alcoholic fermentation took place spontaneously. In March 2013, 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 barrels with two and three wines. The final blend was bottled in March 2016.

Vintage
The long growing season allowed for balanced canopy development and the grapes enjoyed good sun exposure. With moderate yields, grape ripening was slow and leisurely, favouring the perfect development of very loose clusters. After a staggered and very selective harvest, the grapes arrived at the crush pad at their optimum ripeness, in excellent health and with a great balance of alcohol content, polyphenols and acidity. The grapes met all the requirements to make great wines, particularly suitable for barrel ageing and laying down for a long time. This harvest was officially rated Very Good.

Vineyards
After a year without getting Garnacha grapes of sufficient quality to make the Via Ardanza, in 2008 we found that both this grape variety and the Tempranillo were optimal. The Tempranillo grapes (80) come from our 30-year-old La Cuesta and Montecillo vineyards, located in Fuenmayor y Cenicero. The Garnacha grapes (20) come from old, goblet-trained vines planted at an altitude of 600 m in Tudelilla (Rioja Baja), in plots adjacent to our Finca La Pedriza vineyard.

Winemaking and Aging
The grapes were harvested manually and taken to the winery, where they were refrigerated in order to preserve their quality. Alcoholic fermentation took place in tanks at controlled temperatures. After malolactic fermentation, the selected wines started their barrel ageing in March 2009. The Tempranillo spent 36 months in American oak barrels with an average age of 4 years and the Garnacha stayed for 30 months in 2- and 3-year old American oak barrels. The wines were racked manually on six occasions. The wine was bottled in November 2012.

Tasting
Outstanding, medium-high depth, dark-cherry red with an intense pinkish rim. Very intense to the nose, with outstanding spicy aromas of black pepper, cloves, cinnamon and vanilla enveloping fine notes of red berries. In the mouth, we enjoy a pleasant structure, balanced acidity and delicate, enveloping tannins. Broad finish, with a round, elegant aftertaste.

Pairing
The ideal partner for roasted and grilled meats, barbecues, poultry and game, Iberian ham and sausages, as well as semi-cured cheeses.