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La Rioja Alta, S.A. Releases Limited Collection of Viña Ardanza Reserva 2000
La Rioja Alta, S.A., one of the world’s most iconic Rioja producers, is releasing a limited collection of its seventeen-year-old Viña Ardanza Reserva 2000 into the US market.
Over the last 75 years, Viña Ardanza has become synonymous with excellence in Rioja and been recognized by both critics and enthusiasts for its elegance and extraordinary aging potential. This limited release of the 2000 vintage comes 10 years after the wine was first introduced into the US market in 2007, offering wine lovers a rare opportunity to experience its evolution.
“When we first produced this wine in 2000, it possessed all the characteristics that have come to define Viña Ardanza – balance, power, elegance – and we immediately became aware of its tremendous aging potential,” says Julio Saenz, winemaker for La Rioja Alta, S.A.
“After tasting the wine in 2015, and again in 2016, we discovered how beautifully it has aged in the bottle,” he continues. “It has gained complexity and aromatic elegance, while maintaining freshness on the palate from its higher acidity… It’s the perfect representation of how gracefully Rioja can age without becoming decrepit in the process.”
In echoing Saenz’s remarks, Guillermo de Aranzabal, President of La Rioja Alta, S.A., comments “the limited release of Viña Ardanza Reserva 2000 doesn’t only celebrate the ageability of the wine, but is symbolic of our own evolution over the last 75 years… Our approach to producing the highest quality wines has evolved over time, but our pursuit of excellence and commitment to quality remains constant.”
Upon release, single bottles (750ml) of the Viña Ardanza Reserva 2000 will retail for $125.00, and 6-bottle cases packaged in varnished wooden boxes will retail for $750.00.
The 2000 vintage was born from a careful selection of Tempranillo (80%) and Garnacha (20%) grapes sourced from the winery’s vineyards in Rioja. Following stainless steel fermentation, the wine spent 36 months aging in American oak barrels that averaged four years of age.
Weather conditions in Rioja during the 2000 vintage were considered ideal and grapes picked for the wine were in excellent condition, achieving color parameters and sugar levels consistent with the winery’s standards for high quality wine.