La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva 2011

Dried cherry, blueberry and smoked meat up front, with a coconut sweetness and floral pastille lift that slowly gives way to something more herbal as the wine opens up. Full and generous through the mid-palate, cherry-vanilla, cola, candied rose and mocha, pulled into focus by a late surge of spice that firms everything up. Fine-grained tannins hold the whole thing together without adding grip, and the finish trails long and smoky, closing on a persistent floral note. Outstanding depth and composure. The 904 at its most assured.