97 points James Suckling: "This is a driven and super tight Gran Reserva with dark berries and hints of spice and cedar. A spicy red-pepper undertone and some dried flowers. Full to medium body, integrated tannins and a superb finish. A great wine. Available in September 2018. A wine for the cellar, but why wait? (8/2/18)"
96 points Tim Atkin, MW: "(13.5%) Reflecting the excellence of the vintage, as well as its power, this is the latest in a superb run of 904 Gran Reservas. Combining Tempranillo with 10% Graciano for added backbone and grip, it’s a wine that is (as ever) supremely drinkable on release, but will reward further cellaring. Spicy, aromatic and enticing, with the vanilla sweetness of American oak, savoury tannins and a core of stylish, balsamic-edged fruit. Traditional Rioja with a modern accent. 2018-29. (Feb 2018)"
96 points and 'Podium Award,' Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine: "Colour: pale ruby, brick rim edge. Nose: old leather, fruit liqueur notes, cigar, spicy. Palate: light-bodied, balanced, classic aged character, fine bitter notes, reductive nuances. (2019)"
95+ points Luis Gutierrez (Wine Advocate): "This super classical cuvée showcases the wines from Haro, silky and elegant after long aging in oak and a good future in bottle. 2009 was a powerful vintage, ripe but with good balance. The blend is approximately 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, fermented in stainless steel with a 78-day natural malolactic. The aging was in four-year-old American oak barrels crafted by their own coopers; the wines aged from April 2010 until April 2014. During that time, the wine was racked every six months, to be finally bottled in November 2014. This is usually my favorite wine from the portfolio, where the balance between aging and youth reaches its highest point. It's developed but it keeps some fruit character, plenty of spices and balsamic aromas. The palate is polished but has some clout, with clean, focused flavors and a long, spicy and tasty finish. This represents good value for the quality it delivers. Drink: 2018-2034. (Feb 2018)"
95 points Decanter: "Tempranillo with 5% Graciano. So lovely with that inviting nose of aged but still perky wine, pulsing with fruit, but with so much savoury complexity, like a room filled with oak furniture. A gorgeous satiny texture of ripe, polished, filigree tannins. Really so luxurious, but very fine and long. Drink: 2020-2040. Alcohol 13.5%. (Mar 2020)"
95 points and 'Year's Best Rioja Wines,' Wine & Spirits: "Now that marijuana is legal, or, at least, decriminalized in most states, is it okay to say that a wine has the resinous richness of a hit off a joint? There it is, not skunky or harsh, just saturated with smoky spice. And somewhat addictive, with at least one taster noting she could drink the whole bottle. This is the most inviting kind of Rioja, melding its American oak scents and delicate maturity of fruit into elegance. It has the kind of robust delicacy that would match seafood paella. (Dec 2018)"
96 points Tim Atkin, MW: "(13.5%) Reflecting the excellence of the vintage, as well as its power, this is the latest in a superb run of 904 Gran Reservas. Combining Tempranillo with 10% Graciano for added backbone and grip, it’s a wine that is (as ever) supremely drinkable on release, but will reward further cellaring. Spicy, aromatic and enticing, with the vanilla sweetness of American oak, savoury tannins and a core of stylish, balsamic-edged fruit. Traditional Rioja with a modern accent. 2018-29. (Feb 2018)"
96 points and 'Podium Award,' Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine: "Colour: pale ruby, brick rim edge. Nose: old leather, fruit liqueur notes, cigar, spicy. Palate: light-bodied, balanced, classic aged character, fine bitter notes, reductive nuances. (2019)"
95+ points Luis Gutierrez (Wine Advocate): "This super classical cuvée showcases the wines from Haro, silky and elegant after long aging in oak and a good future in bottle. 2009 was a powerful vintage, ripe but with good balance. The blend is approximately 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, fermented in stainless steel with a 78-day natural malolactic. The aging was in four-year-old American oak barrels crafted by their own coopers; the wines aged from April 2010 until April 2014. During that time, the wine was racked every six months, to be finally bottled in November 2014. This is usually my favorite wine from the portfolio, where the balance between aging and youth reaches its highest point. It's developed but it keeps some fruit character, plenty of spices and balsamic aromas. The palate is polished but has some clout, with clean, focused flavors and a long, spicy and tasty finish. This represents good value for the quality it delivers. Drink: 2018-2034. (Feb 2018)"
95 points Decanter: "Tempranillo with 5% Graciano. So lovely with that inviting nose of aged but still perky wine, pulsing with fruit, but with so much savoury complexity, like a room filled with oak furniture. A gorgeous satiny texture of ripe, polished, filigree tannins. Really so luxurious, but very fine and long. Drink: 2020-2040. Alcohol 13.5%. (Mar 2020)"
95 points and 'Year's Best Rioja Wines,' Wine & Spirits: "Now that marijuana is legal, or, at least, decriminalized in most states, is it okay to say that a wine has the resinous richness of a hit off a joint? There it is, not skunky or harsh, just saturated with smoky spice. And somewhat addictive, with at least one taster noting she could drink the whole bottle. This is the most inviting kind of Rioja, melding its American oak scents and delicate maturity of fruit into elegance. It has the kind of robust delicacy that would match seafood paella. (Dec 2018)"
| Product SKU | 352648 |
| Producer | La Rioja Alta |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Rioja |
| Varietal | Tempranillo/Tinto Fino |
| Designation | Gran Reserva |
| Vintage | 2009 |
| Size | 1.5L |
| Color | Red |
| ABV | 13.5% |
| Ships To |
