1995 Gran Reserva 890, La Rioja Alta

Named, rather confusingly, after the date of the creation of La Rioja Alta (1890) Gran Reserva 890 is the non plus ultra of the family, a wine that slumbers patiently for 6 years in oak, and then is allowed to rest in bottle and then, finally, is released to the suspecting market-place. Guillermo de Aranzabul, at the head of La Rioja Alta, maintains that of those two splendid vintages, 1994 was perhaps the better for Reserva wines, but 1995 for the Gran Reservas. The 1995 is now coming to life, the oak just starting to loosen its grip, the tobacco / dried fruit complexity starting to entwine the sweet ripe fruit into an Edenic alliance of excellence.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)