La Rioja Alta 890 Gran Reserva 2011

Camphor, tar, clove and damp earth dominate the nose, this is tertiary Rioja at its most composed, with a cool menthol thread running quietly underneath. Fruit stepped back long ago; what remains is pure bouquet, shaped by six years in barrel and ten traditional rackings across Rioja Alta's vineyards (95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano, 2% Mazuelo). Dried figs and prunes carry the mid-palate toward balsamic depth, the whole thing moving with precision and weight before dried flowers close it out. Structure is fine and firm without a trace of austerity. Unmistakably 890.