Posted from CellarTracker
Love that wine, great QPR. I get coconut on the nose.
Just opened a 2010 and it is as good if not better than 2009, more fruit not as rustic but not overdone by any means.
Love that wine, great QPR. I get coconut on the nose.
Just opened a 2010 and it is as good if not better than 2009, more fruit not as rustic but not overdone by any means.
Amazing how good these wines are and often times under $30
Coincidentally, I opened the 2010 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva, Selección Especial last night. First bottle from a case purchase, it seemed like a good time to take a look. Very pleasing and enjoyable, with plenty of structure and grip for a long life ahead. Even paying the premium that the Seleccion Especial commands, it’s a great QPR. Amazing that they can make this quality in such large quantities! Highly recommended.
Coincidentally, I opened the 2010 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva, Selección Especial last night. First bottle from a case purchase, it seemed like a good time to take a look. Very pleasing and enjoyable, with plenty of structure and grip for a long life ahead. Even paying the premium that the Seleccion Especial commands, it’s a great QPR. Amazing that they can make this quality in such large quantities! Highly recommended.
Should be enjoyable to try that wine over the next bunch of years since you have a case. Should be fun to see the evolution of the wine. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Indeed. That’s why we almost exclusively buy wine in quantity now, when available and price permitting. It means we buy fewer different wines, but I no longer feel the need to experiment much, or try a lot of new things. We have more than adequate variety in our cellar, and we still try new things thanks to friends and travel. But buying a mixed case of unknowns? It’s less enjoyable for me at this stage than watching the evolution of a wine over time.
I realize that one cannot start one’s wine journey at this stage of development. But when newbies ask for advice, and most people are saying “never buy more than one or two of anything - taste widely,” I don’t disagree, but I always suggest they also give a quantity purchase a try every now and then.
Had the '10 a few weeks ago and it was fantastic. These are such great values virtually every year.
Thanks for the notes. I’ve got a half case of the '10s I’m waiting to pick up at K&L… but I’m grounded at home in Philly so it may be a while before I can around to trying one.
100% agreed, even “lesser” vintages of Ardanza still shame 95% of wines in the same price bracket.
I have 5 cases of the 2010 biding their time. The qpr on it is insane. The gap between the 904 and the ardanza is much smaller in 2010 than other vintages .
I also have 3 cases of the 2009 and 6 mags of the 2008.
3 good years in a row. Solid producer.
Day 2: Good but not quite the intensity of day 1. Dill, wood, dried herbs, earth and minerals. Medium plus finish. 91 points
Day 3: For sure this is a pop and pour wine. I like it but compared to day 1 not nearly as good. Lacks the fruit from day 1. 90 points
Recommendation: Normally I find the Ardanza gets even better on day 2 and 3 but not this vintage. I would drink these on the younger side through 2024.
I have 5 cases of the 2010 biding their time. The qpr on it is insane. The gap between the 904 and the ardanza is much smaller in 2010 than other vintages .
I also have 3 cases of the 2009 and 6 mags of the 2008.
3 good years in a row. Solid producer.
Now that is a nice stash!
I’ll be the dissenter, but I hated the 2009. Bought a 375ml and it was all dill and vanilla…got worse over 3 days. I like the other LRA cuvees, but this was possibly the worst, non-flawed wine, I had in 2019.
Hopefully Chris meant LRA and not LdH. I used buy this wine in the 1970’s in medical school and it was fabulous for what must have been about $8 per bottle. but I haven’t been able to drink much since because it all tastes like dill pickle juice. (to be honest my last I think was a 2001). But if Sarah says it’s good stuff, I might have to try again. I do love rioja that hasn’t been too juiced up with oak, and especially like rioja with 20-40 years under it’s belt.
The 2010 is all Selección Especial, no?
Corrected. Yes, LRA and this 2009 tastes like pickles.
Yes.
That’s flattering, John. 
I haven’t had the 2009, just the 2010 recently, which is Selección Especial, as noted above. I didn’t get a bunch of dill pickle on it, maybe an acceptable hint, and that’s a note I’m pretty familiar with from old CA cabs like Ridge and Togni. YMMV. It’s not something I buy often, I just think it’s high quality for the price and the 2010 in particular. Like you, almost all of the rioja I drink is a lot older. The oak on the 2010 is certainly prominent, but in a way I find okay, my tolerance for oak being much higher on tempranillo than other grapes.
That’s my biggest limiter with LRA, ended up passing on the 2010 offer though quite tempting.
interesting. Ill have to open a 2009 tonight and see if I detect any pickle…
The very first 2010 LRA I had tasted like someone poured a bottle of vanilla extract in it. It was absolutely overwhelming, and it didnt blow off at all. I was totally turned off the 2010 after that, but a friend convinced me to try another. It was great. Have had 5 or 6 more after that, all were excellent. Am wondering if Kris’ experience with the 2009 was just an off bottle? I definitely wouldnt be keen on drinking pickle juice either.
I’ll be the dissenter, but I hated the 2009. Bought a 375ml and it was all dill and vanilla…got worse over 3 days. I like the other LRA cuvees, but this was possibly the worst, non-flawed wine, I had in 2019.
Probably an off bottle. I got dill and wood but it didn’t dominate the wine.