The 2005 Gran Reserva 904 is a superb blend of Tempranillo from the villages of Briñas, Labastida and Villalba with 10% Graciano from Briones and Rodezno. The grapes were destemmed and crushed and fermented in stainless steel for 18 days at 25 C. Malolactic fermentation was spontaneous and lasted 38 days. These wines are marked by a long aging in used American oak barrels following the most strict Riojan tradition; four years during which time the wine was manually racked eight times. This is usually my favorite wine from La Rioja Alta and 2005 is one of its best showings, going back to the quality of the vintages of the 1950s and 60s. The nose is very balsamic with notes of camphor, hints of mint, leather and hung game wrapped around a core of cherries in liqueur. Together it is balanced, subtle, truly elegant and classical. The palate is only medium-bodied but with great concentration of flavors that are very tasty, mineral, almost salty and framed by ultra-fine tannins and smashing balance. A great classic. This wine will be released in October 2015, a full ten years after the vintage. At this quality level this is a bargain. 150,000 bottles produced.

The ideal vintage for La Rioja Alta, with proper canopy development in the spring and slow, gradual ripening during September. It was also the first year that refrigerated transport was used to take grapes from the vineyard to the crush pad, to help preserve freshness in the grapes. The 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano blend was aged for four years in old American oak and the final blend was put together in November 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.