He remembers the days when he was drinking half bottles of La Rioja Alta 904...so on reserving a table ..I asked if I could bring a bottle and pay corkage. The owner remembered me...not many people drink his Lan Reserva 2005!
The surprise for Edgar was perfect...his eyes lit up...not at a 904...but a step up at the top wine of the estate...the 890.
La Rioja Alta 890 1995
Rioja, Spain
Opened a couple of hours in advance....before we left home...and instantly impressed the restaurant owner.
This is 95% Tempranillo and aged in American Oak...with 12.5% alcohol.
The nose show traces of the 6 years in oak...classic old-style...cedar, vanilla and toffee....pipe tobacco. The palate struggles to keep up...and needed food. The tannins are quite silky...and the sour acidity lifts it as we eat. Edgar loved it...and it certainly is a fine wine...although the mid-palate is slightly oxidised. I would guess it is at a difficult age. Not sure I would go back for this again though...
Points 17
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