La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 1997

The La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 vintage 1997 shows a beautiful light red color with a brick rim and a superb nose redolent of balsamic woods, spices, leather, well-hung meat, incense and truffles. The light to medium-bodied palate shows fully resolved tannins, great acidity and pure, pungent flavors that linger in the mouth forever and that can only be Rioja. This is a wine to smell over and over again. At this quality level the price is superb especially considering that the wine is being released 10 years after the vintage.