A phenomenal vintage for a most traditional of Riojas
'If any one bodega were to be singled out as the exemplar of the classic style of Rioja, this would have to be it, producing year after year wines of the highest quality and only the highest quality, without a single hitch. They are remarkable.' - Julian Jeffs, The Wines of Spain
The epitome of the traditional style of Rioja, long aging in American oak barrels imparting smooth flavours of vanilla, clove and tobacco to the bramble, cherry and blackberry character most typical of Tempranillo. 2010 can seem like ancient history when we're talking about vintages in some regions, but the 2010 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 is just out of the gate. It's a wine that is only released in the best vintages, and 2010 is magnificent in Rioja - La Rioja Alta think it's certainly their best at least since the brilliant 2001.
La Rioja Alta describe 2010 as an Atlantic vintage, in which maritime influences balanced the natural heat of the region, bringing purity and freshness to the fruit. While the aging regime leads to a naturally mellow style, there is also a tense, coiled quality to the 2010 Gran Reserva 904 that shows it has potentially decades of life ahead of it.
After almost a hundred and thirty years, La Rioja Alta remains essentially a family concern, managed by descendants of five founding families who pooled resources in 1890 to found a winery. Nowadays, they incorporate the best in modern winemaking and winery hygiene, while staying entirely true to their traditional winemaking methodology. It's a pretty rare combination. /NT
Offered subject to confirmation; for shipment September 2019
