With the winter coldly persisting, and dark days engulfing us, there is nothing better than ending a Thursday with a nice warm Rioja wine ## –especially when the nights are steadily cooling down. We decided to open up a bottle of Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 2007 to finish this day and were surprised by the sheer elegance of this wine.
Rioja Alta was established as a joint venture between wine aficionados from both the Rioja and Basque, who decided to create a top quality Rioja wine after the region had suffered from the Phylloxera. The Gran Reserva 904 is a tribute to the joining of the Ardanza vineyards in 1904 and the wines have been made from the same vineyard ever since.
Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 consists of mainly Tempranillo, but has a small percentage (approximately 10%) of Graciano in the blend. This typical Rioja grape gives the Gran Reserva the complexity it needs for the long ageing process.
The wine opened up great with –undoubtedly– the nose of a Rioja. Hints of tobacco, leather and vanilla, along with some green spices. The wine offered a great palate of fruit, containing cherries, blackberries and even some slight orange peel. The tannins were still beautifully firm and complimented the complexity and richness of the wine. Hints of chocolate and some more cherries gave a warm finish to the glass.
A marvellous wine, especially at the price it is offered.
BOW: 8.25
