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2005 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 - 6x150cl
11A5RAGRM _ 2005 - La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 - 6x150cl
  • Colour Red
  • Producer La Rioja Alta
  • Region Rioja
  • Grape Tempranillo / Graciano
  • Drinking 2016 - 2024
  • Case size 6x150cl
  • Available Now

2005 - La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 - 6x150cl

  • Colour Red
  • Producer La Rioja Alta
  • Region Rioja
  • Grape Tempranillo / Graciano
  • Drinking 2016 - 2024
  • Case size 6x150cl
  • Available Now
Select pricing type
ⓘ Pricing Info
Case price: £739.07 Duty Paid inc VAT
Equivalent Bottle Price: £123.17 Duty Paid inc VAT

This wine is currently only available Duty Paid

Case price: £739.07 Duty Paid inc VAT
Please note: This wine is available for immediate delivery.
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Pricing

  • IN BOND prices exclude UK Duty and VAT. Wines can be purchased In Bond for storage in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse, or for export to non-EU countries. Duty and VAT must be paid before delivery can take place.

  • RETAIL prices include UK Duty and VAT. Wines for UK delivery can only be purchased this way.

Additional Information

  • Duty Paid wines have been removed from Bond and cannot subsequently be returned to Bond.  VAT is payable on Duty Paid wines. These wines must remain Duty Paid but can be purchased as such for storage subject to VAT.

  • En Primeur wines can only be purchased In Bond. On arrival in the UK these wines can either be stored In Bond in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse or delivered directly to you. When you decide to take delivery, Duty and VAT at the prevailing rate become payable.

  • Goedhuis, July 2015

    Ruby brick in colour. A very classy Reserva, with hints of vanilla pod, spice and plum fruits. Tremendous refinement with an easy silky texture on the finish. At ten years old, this is absolutely at its peak.

  • Goedhuis, July 2015

    Ruby brick in colour. A very classy Reserva, with hints of vanilla pod, spice and plum fruits. Tremendous refinement with an easy silky texture on the finish. At ten years old, this is absolutely at its peak.

  • James Suckling, April 2015, Score: 95

    Aromas of pine needles, ginger, red fruits and cedar. Mushroom too, plus bark and mint. Complex. Full body, ultra fine tannins and a tangy and bright finish. Makes you want to drink it. Made from 90% tempranillo with 10% graciano from 40+ year-old vineyards in the Briñas, Labastida and Villalba. Drink or hold.

  • Luis Gutierrez, April 2015, Score: 96

    The 2005 Gran Reserva 904 is a superb blend of Tempranillo. These wines are marked by a long aging in used American oak barrels following the most strict Riojan tradition; four years during which time the wine was manually racked eight times. This is usually my favorite wine from La Rioja Alta and 2005 is one of its best showings, going back to the quality of the vintages of the 1950s and 60s. The nose is very balsamic with notes of camphor, hints of mint, leather and hung game wrapped around a core of cherries in liqueur. Together it is balanced, subtle, truly elegant and classical. The palate is only medium-bodied but with great concentration of flavors that are very tasty, mineral, almost salty and framed by ultra-fine tannins and smashing balance. A great classic. This wine will be released in October 2015, a full ten years after the vintage. At this quality level this is a bargain. 150,000 bottles produced.

Producer

La Rioja Alta

When it comes to traditional style Rioja, La Rioja Alta remains the benchmark. Established in 1890 by Don Alfredo Ardanza, the estate has been producing beautifully crafted wines for over 125 years, maintaining the traditional winemaking practices that helped them earn their reputation as one of the finest producers in the region. At La Rioja Alta, every wine is produced with tremendous attention to detail. From racking by candlelight to employing an in-house master cooper, the estate monitors each barrel on an individual basis, ensuring intricacy and balance throughout the winemaking process. La Rioja Alta owns all 420 hectares of its vineyards, which is unusual for a bodega of such prominence, yet it allows head winemaker Julio Sáenz to have complete viticultural control, guaranteeing the quality of fruit. Named after its three founding families – Alberdi, Arana, and Ardanza – who are all still shareholders to this day, the estate is renowned for its Reserva wines. The pinnacle of Rioja winemaking however can be found in their two Gran Reservas – 890 and 904 – which both pay homage to the creation of La Rioja Alta (1890) and the year Don Alfredo added his own Ardanza winery to the bodega (1904). Only produced in exceptional years, and released after lengthy ageing in oak and bottle, the wines are classical Rioja with rich fruit and spice. Winemaking at its very best, it comes as no surprise that each new release is readily snapped up.

Region

Rioja

By far the best known of Spain's wine regions is Rioja, which takes its name from the rio(river) Oja, a tributary of the river Ebro. Lying in the north of the country, along the Ebro valley, the area is sheltered from rain-bearing Atlantic winds by the dramatic Sierra de Cantabria to the north and west. The hilly vineyards are interspersed with orchards, poplars and eucalyptus trees. Rioja is further divided into three sub-regions - Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. The first two are best regarded, with vines planted on cool slopes with clay and limestone soils. The permitted grape varieties for Rioja are tempranillo, which is grown extensively in Rioja Alta and Alavesa and will form the backbone of all the best wines, garnacha, widespread in Rioja Baja and used to add body to the blend, and mazuelo (carignan) and graciano, both grown in miniscule proportions. The key to understanding Rioja is the technique used to mature the wine. Unlike most other areas of Europe, American oak barrels are used which give the wines their characteristic soft vanilla, almost coconuty flavour. Historically the wines were aged for periods far longer than legally required, until all the fruit character had died down and the end result was a light, tawny-coloured wine dominated by oak flavours. Although there are still supporters of this classic style, far more producers are making wines in a more modern way, allowing the dark berry fruit flavours to burst through balanced by a more judicious use of oak ageing and often opting for French oak now.

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