La Rioja Alta S.A - Gran Reserva 890

The 2004 Gran Reserva 890 is the top of the range here, a wine that is only released three/four times per decade in exceptional years. They start by sourcing grapes from their oldest vineyards and going through a slow process of aging the wine in American oak barrels for six years, with ten manual racking’s, and each time there is a selection of only the best barrels. The nose is all about forest floor aromas, game, cigar ash, incense, old furniture, and some smoked meat. The palate shows very fresh with slightly dusty tannins and nice acidity. It's polished but feels livelier than some older vintages.