La Rioja Alta, 904 Gran Reserva, Rioja 2011

Lovely dried red fruit, such as plums with just a hint of prunes. Cedar, walnut and leather undertones. Full-bodied with lots of fruit, considering its age, as well as hints of smoke, tobacco, bark and black tea. Some balsamic at the finish. Traditionally styled with lovely results. Drink or hold.

I could not resist including the cousins: La Rioja Alta 890 and 904. 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.

Drink now to 2050

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.

Drink 2022 - 2034

I usually prefer the 904 to the 890, but there will be no Gran Reserva 890 until the 2010 vintage from the last vintage I tasted, 2005). So, the only one of the extended-aging Haro-style reds I tasted this time was the 2011 Gran Reserva 904, which had a hard act to follow after the 2010 vintage. It's a blend of 89% Tempranillo and 11% Graciano matured in American oak barrels for four years, and it was racked eight times from barrel to barrel during its élevage, which sounds a bit harsh for a vintage like 2011 when the wines were not as complete and robust as in 2010. 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. The final blend was bottled in November 2016, filling 150,000 bottles.

Drink now to 2030