Gran Reserva 904 was originally released as Reserva 1904. It was named to commemorate a very important date for the La Rioja Alta Winery: the proposed merger by Don Alfredo Ardanza of La Rioja Alta and Bodega Ardanza. The” 1” was eventually dropped to prevent confusion with the actual 1904 vintage. In addition, the year 1904 was also considered to be one of the greatest vintages in local history.

Gran Reserva 904 is made only in exceptional vintages, with the best harvests from the oldest vineyards. It’s a classic Rioja at its best and is amongst the finest wines being produced in Rioja today.

La Rioja Alta’s Gran Reserva 904 2005 is a classic Rioja DOCa Gran Reserva built on Tempranillo with 10% Graciano, sourced from older vineyards in the Rioja Alta zone, including Briñas, Labastida and Villalba, with the Graciano coming from Briones and Rodezno. It’s made in a traditional register: Robert Parker’s *Wine Advocate* (Luis Gutiérrez) notes the fruit was “destemmed and crushed and fermented in stainless steel for 18 days at 25 C,” followed by a “spontaneous” malolactic that “lasted 38 days.” The wine then spent “four years” in “used American oak barrels,” with the lot “manually racked eight times,” and it was released in October 2015—“a full ten years after the vintage.” Reported production is substantial: *Wine Advocate* cites “150,000 bottles,” while *Wine Spectator* reports “12,500 cases made.”

The critical consensus is strongly positive, with several excellent reviews. *Wine Advocate* awards 96 points, calling it “superb” and “balanced, subtle, truly elegant and classical,” singling out a “very balsamic” nose with “camphor,” “mint,” “leather and hung game,” wrapped around “cherries in liqueur,” and praising its “smashing balance.” *Wine Enthusiast* also scores it 96, leaning into the romance—“One look, one whiff, one taste and you’re swooning”—but grounding that in mature detail: “lemon peel, cedar and dried cherry,” plus “vanilla, orange peel, saffron and dried plum,” with a drinking window “through 2027.”

James Suckling (95 points) emphasizes aromatic complexity—“pine needles, ginger, red fruits and cedar,” plus “mushroom… bark and mint”—and highlights “ultra fine tannins” and a “tangy and bright finish.” *Wine Spectator* is a touch more reserved at 92, framing it as an “old-school red” with “dried cherry, floral, licorice and leather,” “light, firm tannins,” and a “long and juicy” finish. Wine & Spirits (93) focuses on texture and oak finesse, describing “cushioned gentleness,” “tremendous length,” and a fruit-and-earth profile “you might find in a truffle,” while suggesting the best reason to buy is how it will evolve over “another five to 15 years.”