La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 2010

98 points and 'Top 100 Wine of 2019 (#65),' James Suckling: "Fresh blueberries and brambleberries take center stage, which is striking for a wine of this age. There are also lots of roasted herbs, such as sage, not to mention floral elements, including lavender and dried violets. Then come cedar, sandalwood and tar. The tannins are incredibly round and soft, without the slightest hint of anything dry. This is among the most elegant of Riojas, where the acidity is wonderfully pronounced and cuts right through any touch of dried fruit. Long and powerful, yet subtle on the finish. Drink now, or hold for a very long time. (7/24/19)"

97 points Tim Atkin, MW: "A step up on the memorable 2009, this shows just how special the 2010 vintage was. Marrying fruit from Briñas, Villalba and Rodezno, it's a perfectly judged marriage of Tempranillo with 10% Graciano. Savoury wild herb notes segue into a palate that's focused, balanced and graceful with the concentration and backbone to age. 2019-35. (2019)"

96+ points Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate): "[$65 list] It seems like yesterday when the superb 2001 was released, and now I already have the 2010 Gran Reserva 904 in my glass. It has to be among the greatest modern time vintages of this mythical bottling, where they aim for a wine that has a long aging potential. This is mostly Tempranillo with 10% Graciano and 13.5% alcohol, and it matured in fourth-used American oak barrels for four years, during which time the wine was racked every six months. It has the combination of elegance and power only the best vintages are capable of, with the classical aromas, great detail and nuance, very good balance and persistence. They consider 2010 among the best years of this century, and maybe future generations will talk about 2010 like we talk about the great classical vintages of yesterday today. The palate is polished but shows plenty of energy and tension, the tannins are very fine and elegant, and the flavors are focused and clean. This has to be one of the greatest wines from the vintage. A legend in the making... It was bottled in July 2015. Drink: 2019-2035. (Jun 2019)"

96 points and 'Podium Award,' Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine: "(90% tempranillo, 10% graciano). Colour: light cherry, garnet rim. Nose: elegant, fine reductive notes, ripe fruit, aged wood nuances, spicy. Palate: balanced, complex, long, fine tannins, fine bitter notes. (2020)"

94+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2010 Rioja '904' Gran Reserva from La Rioja Alta is just beautiful on both the nose and palate. It is still fundamentally a young wine and will continue to improve for many years to come, but it is starting to really show well at age nine and is already pretty hard not to want to drink in its bloom of youthful exuberance. The very complex nose wafts from the glass in a blend of raspberries, red plums, fresh nutmeg, cloves, cigar wrapper, beautiful soil tones, toasted coconut and a lovely framing of oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and starting to get velvety on the attack, with a great core of fruit, stellar soil signature, tangy acids, fine-grained tannins and outstanding length and grip on the very complex and perfectly balanced finish. This is an utter classic in the making and a brilliant young Rioja, but it firms up a bit as it sits in decanter and probably deserves at least a few more years’ worth of bottle age before having at it in earnest. 2022-2075. (Sep/Oct 2019)"