La Rioja Alta S.A. Rioja Reserva Especial 'Viña Ardanza' 2001

Founded by a consortium of five Spanish families who seized the opportunity to supply a French market whose own vineyards had been ravaged by phylloxera in the late 19th century, La Rioja Alta is still one of the most staunchly traditional of Rioja’s bodegas. 

Housed in Haro’s old railway quarter alongside that other ultra-traditionalist house López de Heredia, it commands a vast swathe of vineyards across Rioja, Rías Baixas, and Ribera del Duero, while its cellars house some 45,000 barrels at any given time. It pays to be patient and think big here.

In addition to the flagship Gran Reservas ‘890’ and ‘904’, La Rioja Alta produces its ‘Viña Ardanza’ Reserva Especial (technically a Gran Reserva, but not labelled as such) in only the best vintages. Although that might sound like marketing guff by the winery, there have been just three releases in the last 70 years: 1964, 1973, and 2001.

A blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha from the winery’s own vineyards in Fuenmayor and Rioja Baja, this represents everything that’s great about mature old-school Rioja: plush fruit, sweet oak, supple tannins, and just enough savoury complexity to keep things interesting. A favourite among critics (and, well, us), this is a bottle that everyone should try once.