Club Lealtanza is one of those wines which everyone will want to drink. Far from the highly structured wines which have taken over the market in recent years, this wine is elegant and deep, aiming to attract new followers as well as delighting lovers of classic Rioja wine. It is the only wine from the Altanza winery which is left to stand in its own private room designed just for this purpose. Club Lealtanza is a special cuvée, or blend, originally prepared exclusively for the members of the cellar's Wine Club. However, after receiving a 95-point rating from Robert Parker in 2005, and due to its popularity and demand, they decided to increase production so as to be able to offer it to all wine-lovers — although its production is limited to 48,000 bottles.
The Bodegas Altanza winery does not renounce the traditional wine-making methods of this area, and here they offer us a spectacular but classic Rioja Tempranillo wine, with care and attention paid to every last detail. It is produced using grapes from vineyards up to 75 years old located in several Rioja towns and villages (Lapuebla, Cenicero, Huércanos, Badarán, Villar de Torre and Fuenmayor), although most of the fruit comes from the Finca Tomilleros plot in the village of Galilea, at an altitude of 600 metres. These rainfed low-yield vines are about thirty years old. An extremely careful selection process followed by the wine's ageing in new French oak barrels is an example of the exclusivity of this wine, shown also through the thorough yet caring production process; after a year and a half in oak, the wine is aged for a second time in large (20,000 litre) French oak vats to ensure its uniformity before it is bottled.
The Club Lealtanza has a deep purple colour with maroon tinges from the ageing process, and a well-developed nose with aromas of cinnamon, cloves, incense, lavender, wild cherries, and blackberries. The Tempranillo grapes offer an extraordinary expression in the mouth, where black fruit unite with the wood providing a strong fleshiness and texture, a good citrus acidity (candied citrus fruits), and a medium palate with abundant notes of liquorice and dark chocolate. Firm tannins promise a good ageing potential, and a lingering and succulent finish with a fine hint of minerals mixed with fruit (graphite, truffle, peat).
Drinking and storing
16ºC
Ratings and awards
2014
93 PN
93 SK
2011
92 SK
2008
91 PK
2005
95 PK
PK: ParkerPN: PeñínSK: Suckling
Customer reviews
4.7/5
10 reviews
Vintage:
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by: Jose (19/12/2017) - Vintage 2010
0
Outstanding full body with a smooth lasting finish
Truly an above average wine! First tried this some years back and this years vintage has not lost any of the nuances that bright this wine to my cellar. A top choice.
by: Gus (01/06/2018) - Vintage 2010
0
Smooth and sophisticated!
A really well balanced wine with a very smooth and long finish......quite an elegant and sophisticated glass of red wine. Agree that this deserves top marks.
by: Bompsietsjoe (28/12/2017) - Vintage 2010
0
Excellent vintage!
One of my favourites in Rioja.
And especially this 2010 edition is excellent.
I love it and I will be back for more.
Pas de deception pour ce rioja de bonne facture qui ne devrait pas decevoir.
by: Hispavinus-Kunde (29/12/2016) - Vintage 2008
296
Toller wein
Toller Wein ist ein ideales Preisleistungsverhältnis
Kann ich jedem empfhelen!
Allen denen ich den Wein zum kosten gegeben habe waren begeistert
Winemaking
Ageing period
18 months
Type of wood
French oak
The winery
Bodegas Altanza
Bodegas Altanza started out in 1998, operated by a group of businesspeople from La Rioja, with the idea of setting up a winery which produced wines of quality that everybody could afford. The winery was created with the intention of making Reservas and Gran Reservas, since ‘Reserva’ was the wine which cellar owners in the past used to reserve for offering to their best clientele.
Located in Fuenmayor (Rioja Alta), the winery tries to combine tradition and modernity. For this...
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