"Luis Gutierrez 96+/100
It seems like yesterday when the superb 2001 was released, and now I already have the 2010 Gran Reserva 904 in my glass. It has to be among the greatest modern time vintages of this mythical bottling, where they aim for a wine that has a long aging potential. This is mostly Tempranillo with 10% Graciano and 13.5% alcohol, and it matured in fourth-used American oak barrels for four years, during which time the wine was racked every six months. It has the combination of elegance and power only the best vintages are capable of, with the classical aromas, great detail and nuance, very good balance and persistence. They consider 2010 among the best years of this century, and maybe future generations will talk about 2010 like we talk about the great classical vintages of yesterday today. The palate is polished but shows plenty of energy and tension, the tannins are very fine and elegant, and the flavors are focused and clean. This has to be one of the greatest wines from the vintage. A legend in the making. 150,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2015. Robertparker.com, June 2019"
'Quite simply, these are some of the finest Riojas that can grace your cellar' Neal Martin
La Rioja Alta was founded by five families at the end of the 19th century and is still run by their descendants today. They are one of the last bastions of the traditional style of Rioja having been producing wine for over 125 years. Indeed, ‘904’ marks the date of this wine’s first vintage.
Gran Reserva 904 is a blend Tempranillo from vines over 60 years old planted in Briñas, Labastida and Villalba, and Graciano from the Montecillo vineyard in the municipality of Fuenmayor. In March following vintage the wine is transferred to 4 year old American oak barrels (made in-house), where it stays for up to 5 years. During aging, the wine is racked by candlelight every six months using traditional barrel-to- barrel methods. The final blend is then bottled at 5 to 6 years from vintage.
This wine is a manifestation of La Rioja Alta’s combination of historic techniques and cutting-edge development. The grapes are sorted first by hand in the vineyard, and then by an optical laser-guided machine that individually assesses hundreds of berries per second. The state-of-the-art winery at Labastida houses a serious research and development division enabling the implementation of new technology when deemed appropriate, whilst maintaining the beautiful style of these wines which have such a devoted following.
