La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial 2001

Morello cherry, ripe raspberry and sandalwood on the nose, threaded through with sweet vanilla and a touch of dried florals, perfumed and inviting from the first pour. On the palate it shifts register: singed plum and dark cherry take the lead, the fruit deeper and more concentrated than the bouquet lets on. Structure is generous but never heavy, the tannins well-integrated after years in cask, and the acidity keeps everything honest. Long, sweet finish with impressive persistence. Drinking beautifully now and should hold through 2030.