Wine atlas · ES · Rioja DOCa
Gran Reserva 904 2015
La Rioja Alta, S.A. · 341 US label registrations
Gran Reserva with extended aging before release.
01 · Profile in the glass
Classic Rioja Gran Reserva
An editorial reading based on style, grapes, and sources — not a tasting note for this bottle.
- Color
- Ruby-garnet with evolved brightness.
- Palate
- Medium to full, dry, with polished tannin, sustained acidity, and oak integrated into a balsamic profile.
- Finish
- Long finish of dried red fruit and spice.
Aromatic families
- dried cherry
- tobacco
- subtle vanilla
- leather
- dill
- cedar
02 · The terroir shaping the wine
Rioja DOCa
Rioja brings together calcareous clay, ferrous clay, and alluvium in valleys and slopes. The Gran Reserva style shifts the reading: place appears together with time in wood and bottle.
- Soil
- Calcareous clay, ferrous clay, and alluvium
- Altitude
- 300–700 m
- Annual rainfall
- 500 mm
- Heat summation
- Not catalogued
- Aspect
- Valleys and slopes
- Harvest
- September to October
- Appellation
- DOCa · ES-RIOJA-DOCA
03 · From landscape to flavor
From landscape to flavor
Every relationship displays its evidence grade and source; contested links remain visibly contested.
Greater heat accumulation tends to support Ripe fruit
Within the limits of variety and management, more heat can accelerate ripening and shift fruit profile.
Influence of Climate, Soil, and Cultivar on TerroirHarvest timing tends to support Freshness
Harvest date changes the observable combination of sugar, acidity, and aromatic maturity.
Standards and technical documents: viticultureCluster sunlight exposure tends to support Color
Exposure changes ripening and pigmentation processes, with effects depending on variety and intensity.
Standards and technical documents: viticultureOak contact tends to support Vanilla
Wood-derived compounds can contribute aromas associated with vanilla.
Oak influence in wineOld vines tends to support Concentration
Vine age is often associated with concentration, but site selection, yield, and management confound attribution.
Standards and technical documents: viticultureLarge diurnal temperature range tends to support Freshness
Diurnal range is often used to explain freshness, but averages, extremes, and available water also matter.
Influence of Climate, Soil, and Cultivar on TerroirSite dominates cultivar tends to support Structure
Terroir studies show interaction among climate, soil, and cultivar, not a fixed hierarchy in every context.
Influence of Climate, Soil, and Cultivar on Terroir04 · How to read this bottle
How to read this bottle
bordeaux
Bottle anatomy
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05 · How it is made
How it is made
La Rioja Alta describes 904 as a long-aged Gran Reserva. The teaching point is how oak, slow oxygen, and acidity keep a red wine elegant rather than heavy.
06 · Why it matters
Why it matters
This page explains aging as regional language: not just oak aroma, but an architecture of acidity, tannin, and time.
07 · Serving and table
Serving and table
- Temperature
- 16 °C
- Decanting
- 30 minutes; mature bottles need short decanting or just careful pouring.
- Glass
- Medium Bordeaux glass.
Pairings
- lamb
- roast pork
- grilled peppers
- Manchego cheese
08 · Points to remember
Points to remember
- Gran Reserva puts long aging at the center.
- Tempranillo gives fruit and structure; Graciano helps freshness and tension.
- Rioja teaches maturity without excessive weight.