Welcome! Another day, another wine from the Elitistreview 20th anniversary lunch. Today, Vina Ardanza Reserva Seleccion Especial 2010 from La Rioja Alta.
Rioja has had a more varied story than most of the wines I have reported on my organ. In 2006 I started off suggesting that gin and tonics were preferable to Rioja. It took me about six more years to discover the reason I was throwing up all the time was that I have some biological aversion to gin. I should have gone for the Rioja.
But no. At that end of that year declared, “I can count the number of Riojas I have enjoyed on the thumbs of both my hands; all of the rest I have hated”. I would have spent that trip to the Basque country drinking G&T’s and throwing up all the time… Oh dear…
However, personal development is always possible and generally preferable. In 2011, a slightly less oaky Rioja surprised me no end. I remarked, ”Hell’s bells there is decent complexity on the nose, who’d have thought it? The palate is a winningly svelte collection of polished fruit flavours and a soft but seductive structure. There is nothing lacking here in terms of attractiveness or style. This is improbably good for a Rioja. Can nothing in the world be relied upon? I shudder to think what implausible experiences await me in the future”.
My conversion was complete by 2012 when I was terribly pleased to be sent a very enjoyable gift of CUNE Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 2000. Well, maybe not quite converted to loving Rioja, as I do now, as my initial comment was, “Even after all the good recent experiences with this wine I’m still surprised by how nice it smells. Sure, you have to ignore all of the strange, slightly nasty aromas to like it; I still think that counts as ‘nice’”.
Vina Ardanza Reserva Seleccion Especial 2010, La Rioja Alta
Wow, what delicious fruit! Bright, powerful, full of energy! It is made spicy and even more lively by the sophisticated oak treatment. It is not overdone at all, it is very attractive.
This maybe fifteen years old, but the nose is full of life and vigour. This is clearly of the superior class to merit the Seleccion Especial designation from La Rioja Alta. This is a special wine.
It is also definitely a ‘wine of process’ rather than a ‘wine of place’. That oak treatment is very classy and stylish, but the extended ageing in it masks all the character of place. I am sure people could identify this blind, but it would not be the vineyard they were identifying, more the style of the cuvée.
There is no problem with that at all. Lots of wines are wines of process, and they can be completely delicious (as this wine is). It is just one of the rich and broad styles of wine that are made.
The palate is spicy with oak, warm with alcohol, rich with fruit and round and sweet thanks to the effects of all three. There is no excess, though, it is all in good harmony and is quite lovely.
Good complexity and it has good length. This will certainly age for years longer, but I would go for it now whilst there is a really enjoyable balance between fruity energy and spicy, round warmth. Excellent.
During the meal we also had a bottle of Rauzan-Segla 2005. Unfortunately, I must have been out of the room when this was poured as I did not try it. We finished with a bottle of Chateau La Tour Blanche 2005, unfortunately it was really rather tired and not showing well.
Tomorrow: The future of Elitistreview.
