La Rioja Alta Rioja 904 Gran Reserva Selección Especial 75cl

The wine expresses its 4 years in American oak with notes of coconut and dill. Bright raspberry, cherries and redcurrants are supported by tobacco, clove and hints of dried red berry fruits. The tannins are powdery and provide great structure along with the wine's juicy acidity. For the first time in its century-long history, La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 has been designated 'Selección Especial'. The picture of elegance, complexity, and concentration - and with incredible capacity to age - this wine is not to be missed. 'Selección Especial' is a term used by La Rioja Alta only in the very finest vintages, years where the growing conditions produce a wine so extraordinary it must be celebrated. Viña Ardanza has been elevated to this level four times, 890 twice, leaving this first 904 'Selección Especial' a rare beast indeed. The 2015 vintage was praised by winemaker José Saenz as "without a doubt, one of the best ever for us in Rioja". The Atlantic influence on the season was especially pronounced, creating wines of superb freshness and taut structure. The fruit was selected by handpicking in the vineyard, then again in the winery by a state-of-the-art optical sorter, and then repeatedly whittled down by the winemaker during its four years in barrel, resulting in a 904 that represents the best of this incredible vintage. Formed by five families in the late 19th century, the La Rioja Alta S.A. winery is one of the most iconic names in Fine Wine, and a benchmark for the traditional style of Rioja. Their Tempranillo-led reds are aged for remarkably long periods in barrels from the producer’s cooperage, and they are one of the last remaining producers to rack their wines by hand and by candlelight – which they do every six months. While they always upheld standards and tradition, La Rioja Alta S.A. never stopped experimenting and pushing for better quality, offering some of the purest, more precise expressions of Tempranillo in the world.