In 1890, five wine-loving families came together and formed a wine society specific to Rioja. Soon after, in 1904, two of the estates—La Rioja Alta and Bodegas Ardanza—merged into one and it is this date that Gran Reserva 904 pulls its name from. Since then, La Rioja Alta has expanded its production and secured new vineyards from the most exceptional parcels throughout the region. They have also worked assiduously to build a cooperage in-house, which is incredibly expensive, time-consuming, and above all, rare. Their oak is bought and imported from America and then turned into barrels by their own coopers. Upon completion, each barrel air-dries for at least two years before being circulated into wine production. 

After handpicking and shuttling to their nearby winery in small boxes, grapes destined for their “904” Gran Reserva are de-stemmed and a natural, multi-month fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks. The wine undergoes a minimum of four years’ aging in American oak that is no younger than four years old. Every six months, it is gently racked into another barrel to slowly remove sediment and prompt aeration. Roughly five years after the original harvest, the wine is finally blended and bottled—but not sold. It then rests in La Rioja Alta’s cool cellars beneath the historic wine town of Haro until deemed ready for commercial release—typically, four additional years. Essentially, they do everything in their power to make sure the wine sings when it arrives at your doorstep. This parcel of 1989, however, only just left a private cellar in Spain months ago. 

Proper service is important for wines of antiquity, so please read the following carefully. First, stand your bottle upright for several days (preferably weeks, if you have the time) to allow the sediment and wine to “settle” from its transatlantic journey. When opening, I strongly recommend extracting the cork with an ah-so opener, and here’s a quick demonstration video if needed. Better still is a Durand, a must-have for lovers of long-aged wines.