Rioja Focus: La Rioja Alta and the Blending of Tradition

A vertical tasting of La Rioja Alta’s Gran Reserva 890, spanning nearly four decades, offered a unique perspective on both the aging potential of traditional Rioja wines and the gradual shifts in style that have shaped the region over the years.

As La Rioja Alta technical director Julio Saenz explained, the Gran Reserva 890 “is a wine we make because it requires time to become what we aim for – not because aging makes the wine better in itself, but because the strong character of these northern vineyards requires it.”

Extended aging, he added, helps to soften and integrate that character, allowing the wine to reach a more complete expression.

The name 890 refers to 1890, the year the foundation of this historic property in the Barrio de la Estacion was laid. The first vintage was produced in 1920.

My vertical tasting of the 890 alongside Saenz and La Rioja Alta owner Guillermo de Aranzabal was a study in the evolution of Rioja wines and demonstrated the terrific aging potential of the 890. We tasted the 1973, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2010 and 2011 vintages.

La Rioja Alta’s vineyards are in the Montecillo, Rodezno and Cenicero areas of Rioja Alta. They comprise old, head-pruned vines planted on calcareous sandstone soils. As Saenz explained during the tasting, these are cooler sites within the region, and the produce wines that retain acidity and structure and therefore require long aging to reach their fullest expression.

Until 1981, the blend for the 890 typically consisted of about 85 percent tempranillo and the rest a mix of mazuelo, graciano and, at times, up to eight percent viura. After 1981, the inclusion of white varieties was discontinued, and the wine has since been based on tempranillo with smaller proportions of mazuelo and graciano. It is produced only in exceptional vintages, typically two to four times per decade.

The aging process is central to the style of the wine. The grapes are destemmed, macerated for around two weeks, then pressed and returned to tank for approximately 10 months. The wine is then transferred to American oak barrels, where it spends seven to eight years, undergoing around 15 rackings, followed by a further six years in bottle before release. In more recent vintages, up to 20 percent new oak has been incorporated.

The older wines from the tasting clearly demonstrated the value of this aging process, with their fluid, velvety texture often accompanied by a touch of volatility and aromas of old wood, dried flowers and toffee. Their appeal lies not simply in their age, but in their ability to evolve and transform over time.

The tasting began with the 1973 and 1978, which are considered by the estate to be the standout vintages of the decade. The 1973, despite being rated only “good” by the Rioja Wine Control Board, showed remarkable finesse, with fully resolved tannins, a tea-like color and aromas of dried hibiscus, flowers and toffee, supported by linear acidity and a seamless texture. The 1978, from a more challenging year marked by frost and drought, showed greater concentration and structure, with more tension on the palate.

The 1981 marked a turning point as the first vintage without white grapes in the blend. It was still expressive, though slightly more evolved aromatically, with bay leaf notes, and retained its brightness and compelling texture. The 1982 – from a dry year with reduced yields – stood out as one of the finest wines in the tasting. It combined tobacco, tea and dried fruit aromatics with precision and balance on the palate.

After a 13-year gap, the next release was 1995, from a warm and dry vintage. This wine showed greater concentration and a more structured profile, alongside a more pronounced volatile character, yet it remained youthful in expression.

The 2001 is a benchmark vinrtage, reflecting a stylistic shift toward greater concentration and structure, likely influenced by both climate and evolving winemaking approaches. The 2004 and 2005 continued this trend, with firmer structures and more pronounced extraction, with the latter showing a tarry, dried floral character reminiscent of traditional Barolo or Barbaresco.

The 2010 vintage showed aromatic intensity, with dark fruit and smoky, incense-like notes alongside round, silky tannins. Climatically, it was considered an “Atlantic” vintage, with cooler northern influences preserving freshness despite the increased extraction.

Taken as a whole, the tasting offered a compelling insight into the evolution of Rioja over the past 50 years, showing both the aging capacity of these wines and the gradual shift in style, influenced by changing climatic conditions and winemaking choices such as extraction, maceration and proportions of new wood.

– Jacobo García Andrade, Senior Editor

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated by the JamesSuckling.com tasting team. You can sort the wines by vintage and score. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.