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Red dry
La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 Rioja 2011 is one of the most representative and long-lasting classic Rioja wines. It is produced only in exceptional vintages, and the 2011 vintage was officially rated Excelente in the Rioja region.
The aroma is very complex: raisins, candied black plums, cedar, tea leaves, cinnamon, dark chocolate, vanilla, pepper and nutmeg.
The wine is deep, elegant and structured. The tannins are silky, the acidity maintains vitality, and the long aftertaste retains notes of balsamic, sweet spices and aged oak.
The grapes are hand-picked, selected in the vineyard and transported to the winery chilled. After gentle destemming and crushing, alcoholic fermentation lasted 16 days at a temperature below 26 °C. Tempranillo and Mazuelo fermented together, Graciano separately; malolactic fermentation was performed.
After winter stabilization, the best wine selected was aged for 6 years in American oak barrels, during which time 10 traditional transfers were made from barrel to barrel. Bottled in July 2018.
Serve at a temperature of 16-18 °C with long-braised beef or lamb, game, and mature cheeses.
Blueberries, violets, tea, dried herbs and a subtle earthy nuance on the nose. The palate is crystalline, with subtle, focused tannins and a faint saline edge. Cohesive and well crafted, with notable aromatic intensity. A wine to return to, exceptional in its balance and precision. Drink or hold.
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.
Bodegas La Rioja Alta is undoubtedly a representative of old Rioja, exceptionally valuing and cultivating the region's traditional winemaking methods. Their “Gran Reserva” wine is aged for no less than six years in barrel and a further two years in bottle before reaching the consumer, embodying patience and mastery. The high-altitude vineyards of La Rioja Alta, with their unique conditions, lend a subtlety to the wines, sometimes even reminiscent of Burgundy’s ‘Pinot Noir’. While the La Rioja Alta group also includes wineries in Galicia (Rias Baixas) and Ribera del Duero (Burgos), it is their traditional Rioja style that remains their hallmark.
Wine Style
La Rioja Alta wines are characterized by elegance, complexity, and longevity. They reflect the harmony between Rioja terroir and traditional winemaking.
Prestigious Vineyards
La Rioja Alta manages high-altitude vineyards in the Rioja Alta region:
These unique vineyard characteristics and meticulous work in the vineyard are the foundation for the distinctive character of La Rioja Alta wines.
Aging and Drinking Window
La Rioja Alta wines are crafted for slow enjoyment. The long aging process in oak barrels and bottles imparts exceptional complexity and harmony. While these wines can be enjoyed in their youth, their true potential unfolds after many years of bottle aging. They are wines valued for their longevity and ability to improve over time.
