La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva 1989

Medium red, the rim lighter than the '90 but fresher-looking. The nose opens with wild strawberry, plum, cinnamon bark and woodsmoke, higher-toned and lifted, with real depth behind it. Rich and sweet-fruited across the palate, with a vinous weight and a surprising vitality for a wine of this age. Suave in the way that only the finest traditional Rioja manages, polished without being soft. The finish is firmly tannic and impressively long, complexity unfolding in layers rather than announcing itself all at once. Enologist Jose Gallego has spoken openly about La Rioja Alta's gran reserva philosophy: complexity over power, nuance over sheer fruitiness, and this bottle embodies that. A fine '89 from thoroughly ripe fruit, and still very much alive.