Viña Lanciano 1975 Gran Reserva

Wine: Viña Lanciano 1975 Gran Reserva

Winery: Bodegas LAN (Fuenmayor, La Rioja)
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 80% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo
ABV: 12.5%

Winemaking
Aged for 18 months in tanks followed by 30 to 36 months in 225-liter French and American oak barrels. The wine then rested in the winery’s subterranean cellars for 96 months prior to its release in 1989.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Excellent cork quality—extracted in one piece, elastic, compact, and with minimal wine absorption. The wine shows a brilliant ruby-red color of medium body; orange rim with no notable variation between the meniscus and the edge.

 

Nose: High intensity and replete with detail. Initially, it shows a "Cabernet-like" character, revealing notes of redcurrant, roasted bell pepper, tomato vine, and high-quality herbaceous and mentholated nuances. The classical Riojan aging notes (seasoned wood, smoked spices, and toast) remain in the background without the typical traditional expressions of "barnyard," leather, or animal notes. It maintains a persistent vegetal, almost balsamic edge throughout, joined by black pepper and a curious hint of oriental spice box. A red of great integrity: powerful, vegetal, and spiced.

 

Palate: Medium-bodied, savory, and intense, with red fruit and creamy oak fully integrated into the ensemble. It still "has teeth" and sound acidity, showing soft tannins. Persistent and broad with a strong "grip" and immense structure. Upon aeration, it becomes increasingly intense and powerful, revealing elegant citrus peaks alongside black fruit. In its time, this Lanciano was the most modern wine in Rioja, and it continues to express itself very differently from traditional Gran Reservas. It retains the initial strength of its youth and the modern expression that has defined the winery since its inception. A wine to discover and to share; an unusual marriage of classicism and modernity.

 

Personal Score: 92
Tasting Group Score: 94