The tremendous national and international success of La Rioja Alta S.A.’s Gran Reserva 890 and Gran Reserva 904 exceeded expectations this year, depleting all stocks of the flagship Rioja brands assigned to 2016. While the century-old Haro house has made every effort to release available inventory into the market, they have decided not to release new vintages “which still need to complete their ageing in the bottle.”

Guillermo de Aranzabal, President of La Rioja Alta, S.A., was emphatic when explaining what he considers a “difficult decision” just before the holiday season – a time when sales of Gran Reservas traditionally soar. “Since our inception, our winery has been totally committed to producing wines of the highest quality, and that is our long-term business vision,” he said. “We will therefore never release wines which, in the opinion of our winemaking team, are not at their optimum drinking level, regardless of domestic and international pressures.”

“These wines are aged between 10 and 15 years. It’s very difficult to predict demand so far in advance and, in this case, the market has overwhelmed us. Furthermore, it is often difficult to obtain the quality of grapes needed to make these brands, and quantities are always limited,” he added.

Aranzabal understands the “logical uneasiness” that this decision may cause clients and consumers of these two great wines “to whom we are deeply grateful for their loyalty, but,” he continues, “we’re sure they will understand that it is necessary, if we’re to continue earning their confidence in the future. We want to ensure that every time they uncork a bottle of Gran Reserva 890 or Gran Reserva 904, they experience an unforgettable and unrepeatable moment.”