La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 Seleccion Especial 2015 (750ml)

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Producer	La Rioja Alta
Country	Spain
Region	Rioja
Varietal	Tempranillo
Vintage	2015
Sku	00679
Size	750ml

 

WA

95

Medium-high robe with an elegant garnet rim. Great aromatic complexity, with notes of wild strawberry, red cherry, plum, blackberry and cranberry combined with aromas of tobacco, brioche, ground coffee, caramel, cedar and cinnamon blossom. The alcohol and acidity are elegantly balanced on the palate and its polished, gentle tannins and freshness provide a smooth and refined mouthfeel. Fine, delicate and very long aftertaste, that will continue to be rounded with time in the bottle, making this new Gran Reserva 904 a wine with great cellaring potential.

Especially recommended with all kinds of meat and stews, seasoned fish and desserts with chocolate or red fruit toppings. Perfect as an after-dinner drink.

Tempranillo (90%) is the main variety. Grapes are selected from our vineyards in Villalba, Briñas and Rodezno, and are blended with 10% Graciano from the Montecillo vineyard in Fuenmayor.

Tempranillo was the first to be harvested, followed 23 days later by the Graciano from Montecillo. All the grapes were placed in small boxes and transported in refrigerated vehicles to preserve the integrity of the fruit. This vintage was the first that the grapes were optically selected, berry by berry, so only those that met our strictest quality standards were chosen for this wine. Alcoholic fermentation in tanks lasted 21 days and was followed by malolactic fermentation. In January 2016 we selected the finest wines to age them in American oak barrels with an average age of four and a half years and made by our own in-house coopers. After four years in these barrels and traditional rackings -by hand and candlelight- every six months, the final blend was bottled in February 2020.

I tasted again the 2015 Gran Reserva 904 Selección Especial, a blend of 90% Tempranillo from their vineyards in Villalba, Briñas 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. Anticipated Maturity: 2024-2035