2011 was a warm year with well-ripened fruit. Although there was a water shortage early on, the high-altitude vineyards drew on moisture stored in the soil, and the final few weeks brought clear days and cool nights. Thanks to these significant daily temperature fluctuations, the fruit's ripening process was able to proceed slowly and reach completion without being rushed.
However, the analysis results show more restrained figures than what warm and well-ripened conditions generally imply: 14% alcohol by volume, pH 3.7, and 5.8 g of acidity. It is precisely this acidity that gives the wine a firm character rather than an overly rich one, explaining why this bottle possesses the inherent structure that a traditional Rioja should have.
Production totaled 60,956 bottles. Since this wine is aged in the cellar for a long period before release, this represents the entire production for that vintage, and it will be quite some time before the next 890 is released.
Robert Parker (95)
There's no new 890 until 2028, so this year, I once again tasted the 2011 Gran Reserva 890, their longest-aging red, which matured in used American oak barrels for six years, and produced just three or four times per decade. It's mostly Tempranillo with 3% Graciano and 2% Mazuelo, with the Graciano vinified separately. 2011 was a warm and ripe year, but the wine has medium ripeness and 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.7 and 5.8 grams of acidity. It has a tertiary nose, with notes of wet fur, leather, truffles, spices, earth and forest floor, decayed leaves and a hint of smoke. The palate is velvety, with fully resolved tannins and a long, very tasty finish. It's by far the most evolved of the wines I tasted this time, with some rustic character, starting to show notes of iodine and an earthy touch. It might not be as long lived as I initially anticipated. It finishes with a slight bitterness. 60,956 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2016.
Winespectator (94)
Fragrant wafts of iodine and eucalyptus on the nose transition on the palate, where an overtone of roasted vanilla and resin brings rich detail to the flavors of sun-dried black and red cherry, plum sauce, iron, dried mint, and toasted cumin and paprika. An intriguing, savory red, long and supple, integrating a mouthwatering tang of salinity and fine-grained tannins.
James Suckling (98)
2011 is a forgotten vintage after the famous 2010, but you shouldn't forget it if you are a smart buyer. Aromas of vanilla, orange peel, black walnuts, truffles, toffee, black sesame, balsam and moss. So savory yet juicy and vibrant, with a long, long finish. So much pleasure here. A little less vertical than the 2010, but so linear and endless. Drink or hold.
Jancis Robinson (18)
Beware of the cork: in the bottle I had it broke during extraction. A Durand might be best. Deep bricky/brown garnet. Invitingly mature aromas of undergrowth, earth and leather but still with some senescent fruit sweetness. Still remarkably intense on the palate, leathery and spicy and yet with so much life in a mature wine. There's a touch of mocha and even eucalyptus, so many layers. Fabulous balance between freshness and fruit sweetness in a dry wine. Still so rich in fruit even though all the flavours are so evolved. Full-bodied, spicy and complex with a very long finish. Benchmark mature Gran Reserva. (JH)
Vinous (95)
The 2011 Gran Reserva 890 (95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano, 2% Mazuelo; Rioja Alta) was aged six years in barrel with 10 traditional rackings, the final selection made through tasting and analysis. Its nose opens in a fully tertiary register, with tar, ink, camphor, damp earth, clove, mushroom and menthol. On the palate, intensity is matched by poise, moving toward dried fruits and balsamic tones before finishing on dried flowers. A wine built on bouquet rather than primary fruit, it is refined in form and deeply expressive.
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
A special wine, newly released from an excellent vintage, the 2011 Gran Reserva 890 is a vineyard-selection of high-altitude sites and includes 3% Graciano and 2% Mazuelo. The Mazuelo was co-fermented with the 95% Tempranillo and spent six years in American oak, during which the best barrels were selected for this wine, followed by six years in bottle; bottling took place July 2018. Tannins attack the front of the medium-bodied palate and melt, finding an enduring freshness through the midpalate and lengthy finish. There’s a savory woody character that dominates over subtle red plum and cherry fruit. This should continue to age well a good 10-12 years.
Peñin (97)
Colour: cherry, garnet rim.
Aroma: ripe fruit, black fruit, red berry notes, old leather, spicy.
Flavour: fruity, full of life, flavourful, balanced, long, aged character, silky tannins.
