THE PRODUCER
Created in 1890, La Rioja Alta is unusual for that time as a consortium of
several families established as a company. There have been several changes among
the shareholders, most notably the merger of one of the founders of the company
– Ardanza – with La Rioja Alta. “Ardanza” was the top reserva of the range for
decades. The signature of La Rioja Alta is the use of American oak for all the
range – a range notable for the high quality at all levels from the crianza Vina
Alberdi through to the three Gran Reservas.

The pinnacle wines are named for the year of merger with Ardanza – Gran Reserva
904 (dropping the “1”) and the year of founding – Gran Reserva 890.

THE WINE

Named after the date of the creation of La Rioja Alta – 1890 – this cuvee is the
ultimate flagship wine from the company. Made only in the best vintages, Gran
Reserva 890 is made from 96% Tempranillo with a soupcon of Graciano and Mazuelo.
It matures for 6-8 years in American oak cask and a further 6 years in bottle
and is presented in numbered bottles. Certainly, among the finest wines produced
in Rioja, 890 is medium bodied with firm yet fine tannins, exceptional drive,
complexity and length, and can be kept almost forever.

INFORMATION
Type:Red
Vintage:2010
Country:Spain
Region:RiojaSub region:Rioja Alta
Grape:95% Tempranillo, 2% Carignan (Carinena) & 3% OtherStyle:Savory and classic
Sweetness:DryABV:14%Drinking window:2022 - 2040Size:750mlFood match:Lamb
CRITICS SCORES
We choose our wines based on a range of criteria(seehow we choose our wines)of
which critic scores is justone. Rather than simply highlight the best score to
promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided
by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do
not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more
weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores
like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a92/100average critic score or
better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a
high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we
offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the
market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and
representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide
to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add
individual critic scores to our website in the future.