Reduced price! La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 Seleccion Especial (2005) View larger

La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 Seleccion Especial (2005)

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Medium-depth cherry-red with a pale pink rim. Very intense, clean aromas, with dominating balsamic and spicy notes —vanilla, caramel, chocolate mint and spices against a fruity background of prunes and dried apricots. Well-balanced in the mouth, with an elegant acidity, good structure, round, polished tannins and an oily finish. The aftertaste is ample and very long, with notes of sweet fruit and marked liquorice

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£161.10 VAT incl.

-10%

£179.00

    TypeRed
    Vintage2005
    When to DrinkNow
    ProducerLa Rioja Alta
    RegionRioja
    GrapesTempranillo (95%) and Mazuelo (2%) Graciano 3%
    PairingGourmet Lamb Main Dishes
    ABV13.5%
    Volume75cl (Full Bottle)

    890 is La Rioja Alta’s pride and joy and clearly one of Spain’s greatest and most age-worthy wines but the 2005 is a step above most 890 releases. They have chosen to label the wine“Seleccion Especial”. This is only the third vintage in the history of the winery that they have honoured a wine with this special label as they are convinced it is one of their greatest ever wines. The previous wines with this label were 2001 890 and 2001 Ardanza – both true Rioja legends.

     

    They only make 890 in the finest vintages (usually around three times a decade) and only release it when they consider it ready to drink. At 14 years old this beauty is just starting to drink but has many decades ahead of it. The winery’s waiting for so long to release one of their greatest ever wines means that this is a true milestone release, showing their total commitment to the experience of the end consumer.

    Vintage

    This vintage was officially rated as Excellent, which coincides with our assessment. After bud break at the normal time of the year, moderate, well-distributed spring rains led to proper canopy development, which lasted until fruit set, helping to balance production. September temperatures were moderate during the day and cool at night, allowing the grapes to acquire the typical traits of this part of Rioja.

    Vineyards

    Tempranillo (95%) and Mazuelo (2%) from estate-owned vineyards in Briñas, Labastida and Villalba and Graciano (3%) from our Montecillo vineyard. 

    Winemaking and ageing

    The selected clusters were picked manually into boxes that were transported to the winery in refrigerated vehicles. After gentle destemming and crushing, the wines underwent an unhurried fermentation. Subsequently, the best batches were put in barrels, where they were aged for 6 years with 10 traditional rackings. During this time, we carried out new selections, so there were only 199 barrels in the final blend. These were bottled in March 2012. We produced 57,036 ¾-litre bottles and 1,312 1½-litre magnums. In order to preserve all the aromatic components, this wine has not been filtered. .

    Tasting

    Ruby-red with an incipient brick rim. Classic aroma. Intense, with notes of cured leather, stewed plums and raisins, tobacco and sweet spices, vanilla and dark chocolate. Elegant, mature, complex mouthfeel. Outstanding structure and well-balanced acidity with silky tannins. Its classic Rioja bouquet stands out, big, complex and round, with an elegant finish..

    Pairing

    Delicate dishes with mild sauces. Meat stews. chocolate dessertes. The ideal after-dinner drink. Serving temperature: 17 °C

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    La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 Seleccion Especial (2005)

    La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 Seleccion Especial (2005)

    Medium-depth cherry-red with a pale pink rim. Very intense, clean aromas, with dominating balsamic and spicy notes —vanilla, caramel, chocolate mint and spices against a fruity background of prunes and dried apricots. Well-balanced in the mouth, with an elegant acidity, good structure, round, polished tannins and an oily finish. The aftertaste is ample and very long, with notes of sweet fruit and marked liquorice

    Write a review