Description
// 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha
"An excellent vintage, with wines that stand out for their depth and persistence. Bud break occurred on the regular dates, with moderate rainfall in the spring and evenly distributed throughout the growing season. Despite the drought and high summer temperatures, the acidity of the wines is balanced with the alcohol. Intense garnet red color, with a clear rim. Outstanding aromatic intensity on the nose, with spicy and balsamic licorice, clove, nutmeg and black pepper notes, enveloping a subtle hint of ripe red fruit: brandied cherry and raspberry jam. The palate is well-balanced, fresh, with a broad range of flavors and soft, round tannins, leading to a spicy, balsam-like aftertaste on the finish. A Viña Ardanza in its prime and with a long life ahead of it." - Winemaker Notes
"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." - 95 Points, James Suckling
"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." - 94+ Points, Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
