2011 | La Rioja Alta | S.A. Gran Reserva 904 (Magnum)

The 2011 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 Tinto pours a glass that is medium-high in depth, cherry–red with a garnet rim. Very intense in aromas. Complex, with notes of plums and ripe grapes, jam of blackberries and red raspberries that give way to spicy and balsamic notes of tobacco leaves, cedar, licorice, vanilla, chocolate and ground coffee. Good entry.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: I usually prefer the 904 to the 890, but there will be no Gran Reserva 890 until the 2010 vintage (from the last vintage I tasted, 2005). So, the only one of the extended-aging Haro-style reds I tasted this time was the 2011 Gran Reserva 904, which had a hard act to follow after the 2010 vintage. It's a blend of 89% Tempranillo and 11% Graciano matured in American oak barrels for four years, and it was racked eight times from barrel to barrel during its élevage, which sounds a bit harsh for a vintage like 2011 when the wines were not as complete and robust as in 2010. It has the classic profile, aromas and flavors (decayed leaves, tobacco, sweet spices, a meaty touch and some black fruit), but the oak seems to take a more leading role and the palate feels less juicy. It finishes dry.

• James Suckling: Lovely dried red fruit, such as plums with just a hint of prunes. Cedar, walnut and leather undertones. Full-bodied with lots of fruit, considering its age, as well as hints of smoke, tobacco, bark and black tea. Some balsamic at the finish. Traditionally styled with lovely results.

Producer Information

La Rioja Alta is one of the foremost estates in the Rioja region, formed in 1890 by five Riojan and Basque families. It is particularly known for its classically-styled, spicy Gran Reserva reds that can age gracefully for many decades. The winery shares its name with the Rioja Alta (Upper Rioja) subregion in which many of its operations are based. The estate consists of around 400 hectares (1000 acres) of vineyards around Rioja, planted predominantly to Tempranillo, but with a wealth of other varieties including Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo. La Rioja Alta's original winery is in Haro, but there is a second site in Labastida in Rioja Alavesa that was built in 1996. The Haro winery includes a cooperage, where barrels are made from American oak. The flagship wine of La Rioja Alta's portfolio is the Gran Reserva 890. It is made from selected clusters and is aged for around six years in first-use barrels. The Gran Reserva 904, the second wine, is aged for four years in oak and has a similar proportion of Tempranillo than the 890 – around 90 percent. La Rioja Alta also makes a range of wines at Reserva level, and the Viña Ardanza, which has a higher proportion of Garnacha. Two other wines, the Viña Arana and the Viña Alberdi, complete the range. The Sociedad Vinícola de La Rioja Alta was founded in 1890, and in 1904, the Ardanza winery joined La Rioja Alta. The estate's two top wines are named for these dates. Grupo La Rioja Alta also owns the Torre de Oña estate in the Alavesa subregion of Rioja, Áster in Ribera del Duero, and Lagar de Cervera in the Rias Baixas region of Galicia.

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