VIÑA ARDANZA RESERVA 1973 (Reserva Especial) - (3 Bottles) Bodegas La Rioja Alta S.A. - (Haro, La Rioja) D.O.: RIOJA Robert Parker 95/100 Jay S Miller "The 1973 Reserva Especial is a brick/brown color with a splendid and remarkably complex perfume encompassing dried fruits, herbs, and other savories. Elegant but still with great depth and concentration, this silky offering is complete in every way. It is fully mature but shows no signs of old age. It seems to be universally acknowledged in Rioja that 1964 was one of the great vintages of the 20th century. Having been fortunate enough to have tasted several, I cannot argue. Viña Ardanza’s wines are labeled Reserva with three exceptions. In what La Rioja Alta considers the greatest years (there have been three to date, 2001, 1973, and 1964) the wine is called Reserva Especial. There are usually four vintages a decade of La Rioja Alta’s Gran Reserva 904. It is made from a blend of Tempranillo and Graciano and aged for 5 years in barrel and 5 years in bottle prior to release." The first bottles of Viña Ardanza 1973 were labeled as Reserva but the winery, seeing the potential of this vintage's wine, continued to label them as Reserva Especial 1973. These bottles are part of the first labeling even they were all bottled together.