Deep ruby color; cherry, plum, blueberry, leather, cedar on the nose; cherry, dark fruits, strawberry jam, tobacco, mint, oak spice on the palate.
Dry; medium-plus body; supple tannins. Balanced alcohol (14.5% ABV), dark fruitiness, acidity (3.63 pH). Blend of 95% tempranillo from three vineyards in Rodezno, and 5% graciano from vineyard in Fuenmayor. Graciano is classic blending grape in Rioja; it is not grenache. Grapes picked to small boxes and delivered to the winery in temperature-controlled trucks. Fruits sorted by new optical system to meet high quality standards.
Fermentation lasted 19 days, followed by natural malolactic fermentation. Wine aged in used American oak; barrels average age of 4.5 years. Wine racked every six months by hand and candlelight for three years. Hand-racking tones down tannins; it succeeds with this effort. Smooth and inviting red with some heft and vivid dark and red fruits on the mid-palate and extended finish.
I tasted the next vintage (2016) prior to this one. The 2016 benefitted from decanting; decanting was not needed for this eight-year-old (2015) pour. That said, eight years is still considered youth for a reserva Rioja. Good structure. The wine improves with time in glass and each sip. Splendid Spanish effort. Elegant, could have aged for serval more years. But I couldn’t wait. Thus this review.
Rioja is one of Spain’s deservedly famous wine regions. It is one of the two regions classified under the Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) system. The two most important grapes are tempranillo and garnacha, and this is blend of both. There are four categories of aging—joven and crianza are the youngsters. Reserva—this wine—spend three years aging, 12 months minimum in oak, followed by six months in barrel. The top is Gran Reserva, which requires five years of aging, a minimum of two years in oak and two years in bottle. The older wines have greater flavor development and earthy characteristics.
La Rioja Alta traces roots to 1890 when five Riojan and Basque families founded the Sociedad Vinícola de La Rioja Alta. A woman, Doña Saturnina García Cid y Gárate was the first president. In 1904, Don Alfredo Ardanza, a La Rioja Alta founder, merged his Ardanza Winery into the operation. In 1941, the company settled upon it present name, La Rioja Alta, S.A. The group celebrated its 100th birthday in 1990 with plantings for a new winery, Áster. In 2015, Top Merchant picked Bodegas Áster’s Finca El Otero as the best wine in the world. In 2019, Wine Spectator selected La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 as one of the best wines in the world.
La Rioja Alta S.A. Viña Arana Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 is rich, tasty smooth iteration of reserva Rioja dominated by tempranillo. Broad range of flavors, impressive complexity and length. Large production and distribution, so good chances you can find this at better wine stores and online. Pair with lamb; grilled, roasted, broiled beef; barbecued meats; veal; poultry, including duck; versatile. Cheese—brie(with rind), camembert (with rind), aged cheddar, manchego, fresh chèvre. $40-48
