Provenance

Private Client

Critics Ratings

La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 2005:
‘Deep and powerful, showing Rioja in its full glory with a surprising amount of fruit on the nose alongside mushroom, spice and vanilla. Serious concentration.’ – Decanter.com, 97/100 (Oct 2021)

‘Shimmering garnet. Aromas of dried cherry, potpourri, vanilla, cigar box and exotic spices; a smoky mineral quality builds in the glass. Sweet, concentrated and seamless on the palate, offering cherry compote, red currant and rose pastille flavors that put on weight and pick up a spicy nuance on the back half. Conveys a suave blend of power and delicacy and closes sweet and gently tannic, with superb persistence and an echo of candied flowers and red fruits. This bottling and the 2001 are the only Selección Especial versions of the 890 Gran Reserva that have been produced by La Rioja Alta.’ – Josh Raynolds, Vinous, 97/100 (Nov 2020)

‘A classic rioja. Endless sweet spices and very marked aromas of vanilla, coconut, nutmeg and cinnamon. Wood dominates, but that is the delicious soul of rioja. The palate is exciting: deep, long, elegant, delicate, complex, with great class. What delicacy and softness of the palate! Its scent never ends and is at a precious stage of maturity. Very impressive.’ – Ferran Centelles, JancisRobinson.com, 19/20 (Aug 2019)

‘2005 was an excellent vintage, and they implemented some improvements in the harvest, introducing 350-kilo boxes and refrigerated transport to the winery, which they think provides better grapes and potentially better quality of the wines. The palate is medium-bodied, the tannins have mostly melted, and it has lively acidity that lift the wine up. This is a very classical and polished Rioja.’ - Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Jun 2019)

‘Cedar and sandalwood aromas give way to flavors of tea, tobacco, dried cherry, forest floor and orange peel in this expressive red. Round on the palate, supported by muscular tannins and juicy acidity. Big but graceful, mature yet lively, in the traditional style. Drink now through 2030.’ – Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, 95/100 (Sep 2018)

La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 2010:
‘Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Intense and concentrated, with vanilla and dry meaty fruit aromas. Tight and expressive on the palate, with chocolatey notes and a very long finish. Sarah Jane Evans MW: An impressive expression of gran reserva, this is a complete wine that shows dark plums, very fine oak, woodsmoke and marmalade. It has a long, elegant finish. Pierre Mansour: With a refined and focused bouquet, this is an exquisite, complex and graceful wine, which has excellent maturity.’ – Decanter.com, 95/100 (Feb 2023)

‘Lots of vanilla and cream on the nose. This is the archetype of traditional Rioja! There is a touch of volatility on the nose, but plenty of juicy red fruit too. The tannins have faded into the background and the acid is soft too. Long and oak-scented on the finish, with perhaps a touch of meat juice too. Not quite a blow-away bottle, but certainly a grande dame.’ – Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Feb 2021)

‘Brilliant ruby. Powerful, spice-tinged cherry, red currant, pipe tobacco, coconut and incense aromas are complemented by floral and spicy nuances, gaining volume with air. Sweet and seamless on the palate, offering deeply concentrated cherry liqueur, red berry, floral pastille, musky earth and spicecake flavors that pick up a smoky flourish on the back half. Concentrated yet lively in style, showing superb delineation, firm structure and a sexy floral quality on the extremely long, penetrating finish. Raised for four years in four-year-old American oak barrels.’ – Josh Raynolds, Vinous, 95/100 (Nov 2020)

‘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.’ - Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 96+/100 (Jun 2019)

La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 2011:
‘I am devoted to 890, but I know that 904 has many vociferous fans. The first difference is the Graciano in this wine, more than 10%. This adds lovely freshness, and darker characters from liquorice to spice. The wine spends a little less time ageing, and remains generous and mouth filling with dark cherries and orange zest. Very delicious.’ – Sarah Jane Evans, Decanter.com, 95/100 (Dec 2022)

‘Deep, shimmering garnet. Highly perfumed cherry, blueberry, smoked meat, coconut and floral pastille scents are complemented by a succulent herb nuance that builds as the wine opens up. Juicy and seamless on the palate, offering intense cherry-vanilla, candied rose, cola and mocha flavors sharpened by a late jolt of spiciness. Shows outstanding clarity and penetrating red fruit character on the gently tannic, impressively long, smoky finish, which leaves a repeating floral note behind.’ – Josh Raynolds, Vinous, 94/100 (Mar 2021)

‘This supple red shows maturity, with forest floor, mushroom and cedar notes framing dried cherry and tea flavors. The silky texture is supported by light tannins and orange peel acidity. Traditional style, balanced and harmonious. Tempranillo and Graciano. Drink now through 2025.’ – Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, 92/100 (Dec 2020)

‘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.’ - Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 94/100 (Oct 2020)