The 1889 Marques de Riscal Gran Reserva is full of life. It deals up a splendid bouquet of mature fruit, mineral, spice, and balsamic notes. Vibrant, lively, and savory, it tastes like a 20-30-year-old wine just reaching its peak. Impeccably balanced, it is a testament to traditionally made Rioja. Marques de Riscal is one of Rioja’s legendary estates. Here tradition and quality go hand in hand despite the Bodega’s enormous production and a few minor tweaks to update the style. It was my privilege in May 2010 to participate in a vertical tasting of Marques de Riscal Gran Reservas dating back to 1870 at the Bodega. The corks from the ancient vintages were removed with Port tongs to prevent any contamination of the wine. Shaw-Smith Importers, FL