2005 Viña Ardanza Reserva, La Rioja Alta, Rioja DOCa, Spain ($26)
I’m a huge red Rioja fan, and the tradition-oriented La Rioja Alta is one of my favorite bodegas in that blessed region. Made from 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha, Viña Ardanza usually has a little extra roundness to it (when compared with the other Riojas from La Rioja Alta). At 20 years or so, it’s a thing of beauty, bulging with the aged magic that develops in a bottle of Rioja. OK, this one ain’t there yet…but it was the oldest Viña Ardanza they had on the list at Casa Lucio in Madrid on Saturday night, and I wanted it for my morcilla. It is a beautiful adolescent. 2005 was an excellent harvest, and the rich color of the wine reflects all those good vibrations. Primary fruit still holding, but the magic of raspberry jam and white truffle starting to percolate. Round and full, but balanced beautifully, suavely, with good acid holding the Forces of Ripe in check. As it ages, it will become ideal rare-meat wine; even as it is, it was damned good on my excellent Casa Lucio steak.
NOTE: See my lead story on Tuesday for lots more fun from Madrid!!!
Wine4Food
It’s a flexible wine that will take to all kinds of red-meat dishes: I also loved it with my blood sausage, with my tripe-and-chorizo-casserole, with my sautéed oyster mushrooms. Think sausage of any kind, chicken, etc…and you cannot go wrong (unless your dish is mucked up with sugar).
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