Rioja Gran Reserva, '904'

Score

97

"Such a deep and complex gran reserva with richness and depth. Genuinely intense and harmonious, with cigar box, pine cones, black mushrooms and high-grade wood and vanilla. Juicy, flavorful and really long. Goes on for a minute, if not more. Such a hedonistic Rioja that delivers sheer pleasure. 90% tempranillo and 10% graciano. Drink or hold."

Score

97

"The 2016 Gran Reserva 904 from Rioja Alta is composed of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. It aged for four years in American oak barrels, 20% of which were new. This has a slightly sun-kissed profile, opening with pronounced oaky aromas followed by classic tertiary notes of clove, licorice, vanilla and caramel, alongside hints of tobacco leaf and bay. This is complex in its maturity, offering good volume, creamy texture and a seamless flow across the palate. A touch of camphor appears at the finish, adding energy to the approachable character. The extended aging in oak defines the long, composed finale."

Score

96

"I find the 2016 Gran Reserva 904 to be spectacular and a textbook example of the grand traditional style. It was produced with 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from a selection of vineyards in search of balanced wines with silky tannins, good acidity, character, length and aging potential. The élevage is long, four years in used barrels averaging 4.5 years of age, during which time the wine is manually racked every six months. It's ripe with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.61 and 5.4 grams of acidity, but the wine is super fresh and complex, with aromas of cigar box, balsamic, dry tea leaves, aromatic herbs, camphor, antiquary furniture and tobacco. It's elegant and intense, with pungent flavors and very good freshness, and it's silky, textured and nicely structured, with volume, clean, intense and long."

Score

95

"A 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, the 2016 Gran Reserva 904 is sourced from a selection of estate-owned vineyards from throughout the region. The vintage was high in quality and quantity and the producer could be selective in the vineyard. Aging took place four years in American barrel, most of them four years old, and four more in bottle. It tastes of coffee and dark chocolate, with high-toned acidity that underscores raspberry fruit. Still a touch grippy, the tannins are beginning to become supple. More time in bottle should be fine, drink now through 2036."

Score

95

"Gloriously, even defiantly, traditional in style, this is a still youthful Gran Reserva from a cooler vintage, featuring Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. Mocha, Asian spice and ash aromas lead you into a palate that's floral, elegant and refined, with layers of tobacco leaf, pomegranate and wild strawberry, sculpted tannins and acidity to age. 2026-2040"

Score

98

"#82 Top 100 Wines of 2023: Very impressive complexity and width on the nose, showing lots of savoriness with mushrooms, sandalwood, cedar, sweet spices, dried oranges and tobacco. Really even and juicy on the palate with fine and very present tannins. Juicy, creamy finish lasting a minute. Really elegant and layered. It goes on and on. A real Rioja Gran Reserva and I recommend buying a case! The first vintage that La Rioja Alta labelled ÁSeleccion Especial,. So appealing now, but this will evolve well in the next 20 years."

Score

96

Score

95+

Score

95

"The 2015 Gran Reserva 904 is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from Rioja Alta, aged for up to four years in American oak barrels. This garnet red wine with a brick sheen features an evolved and complex nose. It offers notes of cola, licorice, sour cherry and dried flowers, accompanied by hints of leather and herbs. On the palate, it is dry, silky and juicy, with fine-grained tannins and a chalky texture that lead to a nimble flow and a lingering finish. This is an old-school, precise Rioja that sets the standard for the region and will delight many a consumer."

Score

95

"I tasted again the 2015 Gran Reserva 904 Selecci¢n Especial, a blend of 90% Tempranillo from their vineyards in Villalba, Bri¤as and Rodezno, with 10% Graciano from the Montecillo Vineyard in Fuenmayor that was picked 23 days later than the Tempranillo that I had already tasted in mid-2022 before the wine was released. Time in bottle has done it some good, polishing the strong tannins that are the signature from 2015, though they are still not fully resolved, and a few more years in bottle will do it good. It's tasty, very classical, balanced and fresh. Impressive for such a powerful year. It was bottled in March 2020 after it matured in used American oak barrels for four years."

Score

93

"Rich and velvety, with a lovely range of mulled cherry, dark chocolate, herbed olive, eucalyptus, iron and milled pepper notes gliding across the palate in a supple, medium- to full-bodied frame. Reveals fine-grained, chalky tannins that are well-meshed with the dark, aromatic profile, while hints of forest floor and sandalwood linger on the finish. Tempranillo and Graciano. Better than previously reviewed. Drink now through 2035. 12,500 cases made, 3,200 cases imported."

Score

17.5

"Pale crimson-brick hue. Lean and savoury, with pure red fruit – pomegranate – and a gentle salted-almond note. So elegant and long, with a deliciously salty finish. (FG)"