La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 Selección Especial 2005

99 points/'Podium Award,' Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine: "(95% tempranillo, 3% graciano, 2% mazuelo). Classic, complex, representative. Colour: pale ruby, brick rim edge. Nose: fruit liqueur notes, aged wood nuances, old leather, fine reductive notes, characterful, elegant, sweet spices, pattiserie. Palate: balanced, flavourful, easy to drink, long, classic aged character. (2022)"

98 points Tim Atkin, MW: "Made with grapes from some of the winery’s oldest parcels in Briñas, Labastida and Villalba, this really is one of the best ever 890s, produced in an exceptional vintage for Rioja as well as La Rioja Alta. Blending Tempranillo with 3% Graciano and 2% Mazuelo, it combines the grace and elegance of a great Musigny with the sweetness, focus and balance of a classic Rioja grown on limestone soils. Scented, complex and very long, it’s unashamedly traditional - and all the better for that. Drinkable now, but will reward further patience. 2019-35. (2019)"

98 points James Suckling: "The aromas to this are stunning with dried strawberry, stone and fresh mushroom. Full body and very tight with incredible depth and structure. It goes on for minutes. One of the greatest ever? The new 1964? Available January 2018. (1/18/18)"

97 points Josh Raynolds (Vinous): "Shimmering garnet. Aromas of dried cherry, potpourri, vanilla, cigar box and exotic spices; a smoky mineral quality builds in the glass. Sweet, concentrated and seamless on the palate, offering cherry compote, red currant and rose pastille flavors that put on weight and pick up a spicy nuance on the back half. Conveys a suave blend of power and delicacy and closes sweet and gently tannic, with superb persistence and an echo of candied flowers and red fruits. This bottling and the 2001 are the only Selección Especial versions of the 890 Gran Reserva that have been produced by La Rioja Alta. Drink: 2021-2036. (Apr 2021)"

96 points and 'Top Wines of 2018,' Decanter: "Founded in 1890 as a consortium of five families, La Rioja Alta is an integral part of Haro’s Barrio de la Estación district, with its modern winemaking facilities in Labastida. The 890 name stems from the first wine made by the company’s first winemaker, Monsieur Vigier, in 1890. Predominantly Tempranillo with a little Mazuelo and Graciano, aged for six years in American oak, then for a few more years in bottle. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: The unmistakable style of classic gran reserva, with its vanilla tones, this is so refined and long, so delicate. Great. Sarah Jane Evans MW: All about truffles and forest floor. Rich and velvety textured with red berries coming through. Confident, superb. Pierre Mansour: The classy nose suggests proper traditional-style Rioja. Complex and savoury yet fresh, round and graceful. Very long. 2018-2030. (Nov 2017)"

95 points and '#4 Wine of 2018,' Wine Spectator: "Cedar and sandalwood aromas give way to flavors of tea, tobacco, dried cherry, forest floor and orange peel in this expressive red. Round on the palate, supported by muscular tannins and juicy acidity. Big but graceful, mature yet lively, in the traditional style. Drink now through 2030. (9/30/18)"

95 points Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate) -Jun 2019.