2017 Bodega Lanzaga 'Lanzaga' Rioja
The eponymous ‘Lanzaga’ from Bodega Lanzaga is the purest expression of the Lanciego terroir and Lanzaga technique. Bush pruning, field blending, organic viticulture, concrete fermentation and limited production come together to build this strikingly serious, sophisticated wine. A spectacular nose, incredible freshness, and elegant tannins, this is a Rioja with a true sense of place – and that “place” needs to be on your table!
Wine Advocate
The 2017 Lanzaga comes from a harvest marked by the killer frost (-5 degrees Celsius) of April 27th and 28th, but the higher-altitude vines from the village of Lanciego escaped the disaster. This is a blend from their 15 to 20 hectares of organically farmed vines, all head-pruned on slopes rich in clay and limestone, mixing red and white soils, places with more sandstone, others with more marl, looking for complexity. It fermented in 6,000-liter concrete vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in 1,500- and 2,500-liter oak foudres and 225-liter barriques for 14 months. It has great balance and freshness, it's very clean and doesn't show any of the challenges or shortages of the harvest. It's creamy, juicy and medium-bodied, with very fine tannins, a serious wine that changed in 2013-2014 to this complexity and depth.