La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 2005 750ml
Rated 98 by James Suckling
The aromas to this are stunning with dried strawberry, stone and fresh mushroom. Full body and very tight with incredible depth and structure. It goes on for minutes. One of the greatest ever? The new 1964? Available January 2018.
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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.
Tempranillo with 5% of Graciano and Mazuelo. Blackcurrant and citrus-peel-like notes bring a pleasing touch of bitterness. Savoury too, coffee and a dusting of vanilla. Overall very harmonious and deep, with that utter pleasure that comes from age but not over-age – superbly polished, with fine tannins and a peacock’s tail finish.
Rated 95 by Wine Advocate
I tasted the 2005 Gran Reserva 890 again, and I liked it better this time than in my previous review, even if I normally like the Gran Reserva 904 better than this bottling, as I find it better balanced. I tend to feel less energy in this wine, as it spends a very long time in barrel, six years in this case. 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. 57,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2012.
Rated 95 by Wine Spectator
#4 Top 100, 2018. 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. 4,753 cases made.
Ruby-red with an incipient brick rim. Classic aroma. Intense, with notes of cured leather, stewed plums and raisins, tobacco and sweet spices, vanilla and dark chocolate. Elegant, mature, complex mouthfeel. Outstanding structure and well-balanced acidity with silky tannins. Its classic Rioja bouquet stands out, big, complex and round, with an elegant finish.