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Buy Online2024 is the 50th anniversary of Vina Arana! La Rioja Alta are legends in strictly traditional, complex wines that could command much more currency. This wine was produced as a Riserva until 2011, now they want to showcase a new Gran Reserva style that combines freshness and joy with intensity, sophistication and aging potential. Tons of depth and intensity tempered by a full three years in wood, and three more in bottle. This is not the little brother of 904. It's Gran Reserva for a younger generation; it's fresher with a gorgeous delicacy of red fruits, spice and American Oak vanilla. In a year when they don't produce 904, the grapes would go to Viña Arana. Serious harmony and pedigree to decant now, or age a while longer.
Winery notes (2016 Vintage)
"Clean and bright, with an elegant ruby colour, medium-high intensity and garnet rim. The nose is intense and fragrant and reveals a complex array of balsam notes, brioche, toasted bread, vanilla, toffee and cinnamon as well as fine aromas of black plums, wild strawberries, ripe blackcurrants and red berries, creating a fruity and balsamic bouquet. On the palate, the wine is well structured and balanced, with a pleasant freshness and smooth, polished tannins, thanks to its careful ageing in oak barrels. The finish is fresh and delicate, with a lingering aftertaste."
95/100 James Suckling (2016 Vintage)
"Beautiful transparency here with fresh flowers, green tobacco, pine needles, crushed stones and sandalwood. Dark fruits in the center. Full-bodied with a wonderful balance of fruit and fine tannins as well as mineral, fresh bark and delicate purple fruit. Subtlety with energy. Youthful now and drinkable, but even better in 2026."
17.5+/20 Florencia Gomez, JancisRobinson.com, February 2024 (2016 Vintage)
"Mature notes of coffee and black chocolate layer over the very savoury dark fruit; yet there is also tons of freshness, and the tannins are very elegantly integrated. The perfumed finish goes on forever."
93/100 Luis Gutierrez, RobertParker.com (2016 Vintage)
"The 2016 Viña Arana Gran Reserva is an elegant blend of Tempranillo with 5% Graciano matured in used American oak barrels for three years. During this time, the wine was manually racked from barrel to barrel, with the help of a candle, six times. It's ripe at 14.5% alcohol, with pungent notes of forest floor and truffles, dark spices and an earthy touch. It has a powerful palate, with very good freshness and acidity, reflecting the cooler year. It has some tannins that would welcome food. 60,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2021. Drink 2024 – 2032."
