La Rioja Alta "Gran Reserva 904" Rioja Spain 2004

REGION ,Rioja Alta, Spain, ,VARIETAL,80% Tempranillo & 20% Garnacha, ,TASTING NOTES,Bright, deep cherry-red in color, with a light brick rim. Intense, elegant and complex aromas, with outstanding balsamic, vanilla, coconut, chocolate and truffle wrapped around a core of candied fruit. Well-balanced in the mouth, with elegant acidity and fine, silky, enveloping tannins. A long and complex finish, with hints of roasted coffee, spices, and candied fruit. A wine that continues to evolve and develop even more finesse and elegance in bottle during the passage of time. -Winemaker's Notes,,96pts Wine Advocate ,"The 2004 Gran Reserva 904 is Tempranillo from Brinas, Labastida and Villalba balanced with 10% Graciano from Briones and Rodezno. The grapes were fermented and macerated in inox vats for 14 days at 28_ C, and malolactic fermentation lasted 28 days. The wine aged for 4 years in used American oak barrels averaging 4 years old, during which time it was manually racked 8 times. 150,000 bottles were filled. This 2004, from a superb vintage shows a beautiful light red color with a brick rim and a superb nose redolent of balsamic woods, spices, leather, well-hung meat, incense and truffles. The light to medium-bodied palate shows fully resolved tannins, great acidity and pure, pungent flavors that linger in the mouth forever and that can only be Rioja. This is a wine to smell over and over again. It might sound like an exaggeration, but this wine is still too young and you should wait a little bit and drink the superb 2001 vintage which should still be available on the market while this one matures in bottle. At this quality level the price is superb especially considering that the wine is being released 10 years after the vintage.",,94pts International Wine Cellar,"Bright red. Heady aromas of dried red berries, cherry, smoked meat, vanilla and potpourri, with a spicy element gaining strength with air. Fleshy and seamless in texture, offering sappy red fruit and floral pastille flavors and an undertone of sweet vanilla. The spiciness comes back on the finish, which features suave floral and cherry-vanilla qualities and sneaky tannins. This classic, old-school Rioja is delicious now but is destined for a long, graceful evolution.",,91pts Wine Spectator ,"Polished and harmonious, this traditional red offers dried berry, vanilla, tobacco and spice flavors, with light, firm tannins and lively acidity. The smoky, spicy finish is long and alluring. Drink now through 2019.",