97 points James Suckling: "This is a very complete wine with such beautiful length and intensity. It’s compact and very driven with a great finish and length. Dark berries, dried flowers, sandalwood and hints of dried fruit. Extremely long and balanced. Drink now. (8/2/18)"
96 points Jay Miller (Wine Advocate): "The 2001 Gran Reserva 904 will not be released for another 3 years. Dark ruby-colored with a garnet rim, it displays a lovely nose of Asian spices, incense, tobacco, balsamic, and blackberry. On the palate it has exceptional depth, layers of spicy black fruit, excellent ripeness, and an elegant personality. Upon release it should continue to evolve for another 5-6 years and drink well through 2040. (Jun 2010)"
96 points Sara Jane Evans, MW (Decanter): "Alluringly complex aromatics, balsamic with sweet spices, red fruits, dark chocolate. The palate is startlingly fresh, balanced between cherry red fruits, liquorice and cinnamon, with notes of dried herbs. 2001 was an exceptional vintage – and this is proof: well structured, with distinct tannin and with many years ahead of it. Drinking Window: 2020-2035. (Feb 2020)"
94+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2001 Rioja Gran Reserva '904' from La Rioja Alta is a very classic wine in terms of its octane, tipping the scales at an old school and very cool 12.5 percent. The wine is outstanding, wafting from the glass in a complex and classy mélange of red and black cherries, a touch of raspberry, cloves, spicy Rioja soil tones, mustard seed, incipient nutskin, a touch of toasted coconut from American oak, as well as bit of cedar from its French wood section of the orchestra. On the palate the wine is just beautiful, offering up stunning intensity of flavor without undue weight in its medium-full, but rock solid format. The wine has a lovely core of fruit, superb soil signature, a touch of tannin, tangy acids and great focus and balance on the very long and complex finish. This is a beautiful wine that will age for decades and decades. It is not a blockbuster by any stretch of the imagination, but a wine that will develop great perfume and nuances of complexity as the years unfold. Great juice. 2014-2050. (May/Jun 2014)"
94 points Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine: "(90% tempranillo, 10% graciano). Colour: dark-red cherry, orangey edge. Nose: elegant, balanced, fragrant herbs, spicy, fine reductive notes. Palate: balanced, classic aged character, fine tannins. (2014)"
93 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Deep ruby. Complex, highly perfumed scents of dark berry compote, cherry pit, pipe tobacco and vanilla. Smoky, sweet and focused, offering vibrant black raspberry, bitter cherry and vanilla bean flavors that gain power with air. This doesn't act like a 12-year-old wine! Finishes smooth and very long, with lingering sweetness and gentle, fine-grained tannins. (Sep 2013)"
96 points Jay Miller (Wine Advocate): "The 2001 Gran Reserva 904 will not be released for another 3 years. Dark ruby-colored with a garnet rim, it displays a lovely nose of Asian spices, incense, tobacco, balsamic, and blackberry. On the palate it has exceptional depth, layers of spicy black fruit, excellent ripeness, and an elegant personality. Upon release it should continue to evolve for another 5-6 years and drink well through 2040. (Jun 2010)"
96 points Sara Jane Evans, MW (Decanter): "Alluringly complex aromatics, balsamic with sweet spices, red fruits, dark chocolate. The palate is startlingly fresh, balanced between cherry red fruits, liquorice and cinnamon, with notes of dried herbs. 2001 was an exceptional vintage – and this is proof: well structured, with distinct tannin and with many years ahead of it. Drinking Window: 2020-2035. (Feb 2020)"
94+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2001 Rioja Gran Reserva '904' from La Rioja Alta is a very classic wine in terms of its octane, tipping the scales at an old school and very cool 12.5 percent. The wine is outstanding, wafting from the glass in a complex and classy mélange of red and black cherries, a touch of raspberry, cloves, spicy Rioja soil tones, mustard seed, incipient nutskin, a touch of toasted coconut from American oak, as well as bit of cedar from its French wood section of the orchestra. On the palate the wine is just beautiful, offering up stunning intensity of flavor without undue weight in its medium-full, but rock solid format. The wine has a lovely core of fruit, superb soil signature, a touch of tannin, tangy acids and great focus and balance on the very long and complex finish. This is a beautiful wine that will age for decades and decades. It is not a blockbuster by any stretch of the imagination, but a wine that will develop great perfume and nuances of complexity as the years unfold. Great juice. 2014-2050. (May/Jun 2014)"
94 points Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine: "(90% tempranillo, 10% graciano). Colour: dark-red cherry, orangey edge. Nose: elegant, balanced, fragrant herbs, spicy, fine reductive notes. Palate: balanced, classic aged character, fine tannins. (2014)"
93 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Deep ruby. Complex, highly perfumed scents of dark berry compote, cherry pit, pipe tobacco and vanilla. Smoky, sweet and focused, offering vibrant black raspberry, bitter cherry and vanilla bean flavors that gain power with air. This doesn't act like a 12-year-old wine! Finishes smooth and very long, with lingering sweetness and gentle, fine-grained tannins. (Sep 2013)"
| Product SKU | 323987 |
| Producer | La Rioja Alta |
| Country | Spain |
| Varietal | Tempranillo/Tinto Fino |
| Vintage | 2001 |
| Size | 1.5L |
| Color | Red |
| Blend | 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano |
| ABV | 12.5% |
| Ships To |
