2010 La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Rioja Reserva Tasted this wine on Delta flights to and from London out of MSP. It’s the best wine we’ve ever been served on an airplane: nose of earth, cherries and some black fruits. Full, savory palate with red and black fruits, well balanced, no heat, and a decent finish. Just checked and it retails for less than $20, will make a terrific daily drinker!!
There are also some positive tasting notes on Cellar Tracker including from our own Loren Sonkin.
Agreed, I’ve loved this wine. All of the La Rioja Alta wines are gorgeous, but this one and the Vina Ardanza Reserva at about $33 are great values, while the Gran Reserva 904 (about $49, and going up at least 10% every year) is a best-in-class, top-shelf Rioja, competitive with the best. I put the Gran Reserva in the same league as Muga “Prado Enea” Gran Reserva and the Marques de Murrietta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva (both a bit more expensive, but both also “values” in the sense that they are best-in-class Riojas for under $75).
I’ve had mixed experiences with this one, with significant bottle variation. I have had 1 good bottle out of 4 - the others were either corked, confected, or just flat. (Could have possibly been a badly stored/transported batch).
At the sub-$20, I’ve had much better experiences with the 2010 Murrieta Ygay (plain reserva, not Castillo Ygay). Delicioso.
I agree re: La Rioja Alta - Vina Ardanza Rioja Reserva being a great QPR. Haven’t tried the Alberdi, but it’s only $17.99 and my LWS so I’ll pick up bottle!
Will report back. Hope the bottle variation issue is just because Vince T sometimes drinks it after brushing his teeth. 
(Kidding Vince. I hope the bottle I get turns out to be okay… if it’s not it proves there is nothing more expensive than cheap wine).
Actually, looking back at my notes, for the non corked bottles, I was bothered most by overwhelming oak - I wrote “This wine is drinkable, but it’s got “American Oak” stenciled on its forehead.” haha. Good luck with yours Barry.
Anything you think bottle age would help significantly? Perhaps I go for a slightly older one, if available.
The 2007 is drinking ok, now – a little cooler I’d suspect than 2010.
I’ve meant to pick up some the 2010 but for whatever reasons have not gotten around to it.
Is the 2010 Ardanza available now?
I think the current release of the Ardanza is the 2008. Haven’t seen the 2010 yet.
Possibly, but it’s a $18 bottle… not sure they’re available and not sure it’s worth the effort. I’d just pick up the Ardanza for a few bucks more. Arv, I think the 2008 is the current bottling.
For lovers of red wine with bottle age at a reasonable price, I believe this literally the only game in town. Yes, there can be comparable values in Medoc Crus Bourgeois and other (mostly Merlot-based) lesser Bordeaux, but rarely available at full maturity, at equally attractive prices, and with quality much more vintage variable. We’re not talking great wine here, just a good everyday tipple with secondary character. You see the (perhaps sleazily named) Lopez de Haro everywhere… barely OK imo. But Bordon, Ollara and of course La Rioja Alta Alberdi are just great things to pop for fifteen or twenty bucks. Even Campo Viejo as well as Lan, Riscal and Faustino easily make the cut. [I also import one.]
These are things I bring home only occasionally, but I see them on restaurant lists all the time at about double retail and they often work for me.
Dan Kravitz
Had a bottle of this a few weeks ago and was equally impressed. Great QPR.
The Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva (which can be found for as low as $13) also fits the bill here, particularly in terms of showing secondary, aged character. I find it to consistently be a terrific QPR.
Agree that for the extra $12-15 bucks for me I’d rather have the Ardanza, which is outstanding.
I like both, but the Ardanza is really about double the price of the Alberdi. (I really don’t see anywhere that the price difference is only $12–Typically the Alberdi is about $17 and the Ardanza is about $34), although you can occasionally find “good deals” on either one, making them a bit cheaper. For yet another $15-$17, you can move up to the “904” Gran Reserva, and if you’ve got the money for that one, I’d say exactly the same thing (I’d rather just pay a few bucks more for the 904)…
In other words, if you’ve got the money, of COURSE you’d rather spend the extra $17 (spending $34 instead of $17) to drink the better wine. However, I find all three wines to be great values for their price point, and roughly equal in terms of “dollar-for-dollar” values.
marques de riscal is a decent buy if you like a new world mix with the old, consistent across vintages
+1
I had one of these a few months ago for around that price, really lovely and mature.
I concur with the first paragraph and other comments about the quality of this producer. I`m a big fan of the Ardanza and the 904 GR. Thanks for the post on this wine.
Hmm I guess you’re right. I had bought a 6pack of the 2005 at $26 a pop - can’t remember if it was on close out or standard price… but that’s the price I had in my head.
Agreed.
I enjoy the Riscal more than t he Alberdi, though I like the 2007 Ardanza a lot. I always have at least a bottle or two of the 07 Ardanza around just in case. It never fails me.