La Rioja Alta 2015 Gran Reserva 904 Seleccion Especial 750ml

They used the words subtlety, elegance, finesse, delicacy and silk to define the 2015 Gran Reserva 904 Selección Especial, a blend of 90% Tempranillo from their vineyards in Villalba, Briñas and Rodezno with 10% Graciano from the Montecillo vineyard in Fuenmayor that was picked 23 days later than the Tempranillo. The grapes were sorted optically for the first time, and they fermented in stainless steel where the wine went through malolactic too. The wine was put in barrel in January 2016—used American oak barrels built by their own coopers—where it matured for four years, during which time it was racked every six months. 2015 was a healthy vintage with balanced ripeness that delivered wines with good aging potential. They thought the wine needed a little more time in bottle to polish those tannins and have decided to hold it and release the wine around March 2023; it will be marked Selección Especial, the first 904 to do so, as they have very high hopes for this year and believe it's one of the finest vintages. They think it will develop the sophistication in the palate with a little more time and that is should achieve the silkiness that is the signature of 904. This is very 2015; I saw quite strong tannins in all the 2015 wines I tasted from Rioja Alta.

Score: 95 points -- Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate, 2022

This impressive release of 904 marries Tempranillo from the area around Haro (Briñas, Rodezno and Villalba) with 10% Graciano from Fuenmayor. Classically spicy and perfumed, with tell-tale American oak sweetness, notes of cigar box and forest floor, racy pomegranate, red cherry and goji berry fruit and textured tannins.

Score: 96 points -- Tim Atkin, Rioja 2024 Special Report