Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial 1964

Wine: Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial 1964

Winery: La Rioja Alta S.A. (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 70% Tempranillo, 20% Graciano, 10% Viura
ABV: [Not specified]

Winemaking
Grapes sourced from small local growers in Haro, Briñas, Briones, Villalba, and Labastida. The wine spent one year in 18,000-liter oak tuns followed by 4 years of aging in seasoned American oak barrels, with a total of 9 manual rackings. It rested for 24 months in the bottle prior to its commercial release.

Historical Context
Originally marketed without a vintage date, following the custom of the era, and without a specific aging designation on the back label. This is the first Viña Ardanza to be bottled as "Reserva Especial," a distinction shared only with the 1973 and 2001 vintages. In May 2010, it received 97 points from Robert Parker, becoming the highest-rated wine in the history of La Rioja Alta S.A. and the third highest in the entire D.O. at that time.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Brilliant ruby-red of medium body; luminous and exceptionally clean. It displays pomegranate and amber highlights with a broad, brick-colored rim and marked contrast against the meniscus.

 

Nose: A high-impact bouquet, powerful and concentrated. Initially, it shows no traces of classical aging, offering an unprecedented profile unlike any other wine from La Rioja Alta. Stewed red fruit dominates, along with baked apples, violet candies and a fragrant toasted backdrop reminiscent of caramelized sugar. Following the initial burst, the wine reveals fine reductive notes: old leather, black truffle, chestnut wood, walnut, old solera, smoke, and roasted chestnuts. Elegantly deep, it grows increasingly dense and concentrated, unveiling black fruit, aromatic coffee, cocoa butter, and a nearly imperceptible earthy-mineral undertone.

 

Palate: The embodiment of balance. It features a silken texture with rounded, unctuous tannins and a vibrant, almost citrus-like acidity that ensures a light mouthfeel and great depth. It shines and lingers indefinitely on the palate with a hint of sweetness—devoid of tartness—perfectly nuanced by the acidity. This wine illustrates the justified fame of the 1964 vintage: luminosity, vigor, acidity, and elegance. Stylistically positioned slightly above the 904 Gran Reserva of the same year. A monumental wine.

 

Personal Score: 97
Tasting Group Score: 98

Tasting Notes (2012-04-01)

 

Appearance: Brownish-ruby of medium body; brilliant and clean. It features a brick-colored rim with orange and reddish highlights.

 

Nose: Showing almost no reductive sensations and a profile far removed from traditional Riojan classicism (no seasoned staves or "barnyard" notes). Initially somewhat shy, revealing subtle hints of cocoa butter, baked apple, fruit pulp, and a spark of caramel. It opens up to reveal aromas of truffle, chestnut, smoked pepper, withered flowers, high-quality woods, and leaf litter, all over an earthy-mineral backdrop of immense complexity. Very Burgundian in style.

 

Palate: Absolutely spectacular. Unctuous, pure, and spherical, with a staggering structure. Fruit and fine toasted notes are fully integrated, providing caressing tannins and a high-quality hint of sweetness. Polished by the years but brimming with life thanks to a razor-sharp acidity only seen in the '73 and '85 vintages. Abundant fruit, immense elegance, and a depth that places it among the finest wines we have ever tasted. Overwhelming in every sense.

 

Personal Score: 99
Tasting Group Score: 99