The 2016 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva is a proprietary blend from the renowned La Rioja Alta winery in Spain's Rioja region. This red wine, with a 14.5% alcohol content and cork closure, showcases the classic character of Rioja with a modern touch.

James Suckling awarded this wine a near-perfect score of 95 points, highlighting its "savory and complex" profile. He commends the "dried orange peel, cedar, and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms, and pine needles" that come through on the palate. Suckling notes its maturity, describing it as having a "medium body and superb freshness" with an "incredibly long finish" lasting over a minute. He adds, "Very complete now, but you can still hold it," suggesting that while it's excellent for immediate enjoyment, it also has aging potential ("jamessuckling.com," 5/19/2022).

Wine Spectator also praised the wine, giving it a score of 93 points. The review describes the wine as an "intriguing red," with aromas and flavors of "steeped raspberry, balsamico, dried black cherry, iron, and iodine." The tasting note emphasizes its "silky on the palate and finely knit" texture, calling it a "rich, medium-bodied red" with "supple tannins." The publication regards it as a "lovely example of Rioja in a more traditional style," recommending it for decanting or further cellaring ("Wine Spectator," 1/1/2023).

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded it 94 points, mentioning the blend's composition of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha. The wine matured in used American oak barrels for three years, with Tempranillo being hand-racked six times and Garnacha five times. Despite being from a warmer year, the 2016 vintage is noted for its freshness and harmony, described as "clean and quite harmonious, younger and less developed, with more primary notes and a velvety mouthfeel." The review states, "600,000 bottles produced. The wine was bottled in June 2020" ("Robert Parker's Wine Advocate," 7/14/2022).

In summary, the 2016 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva is a highly acclaimed Rioja wine with complex flavors and a well-balanced structure, suitable for both immediate consumption and aging.