2004 Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Gran Reserva Rioja 750 ml

Imagine this: It’s 2009 and the Rioja Gran Reservas from the stunning 2004 vintage are just being released. You hear it’s a fantastic vintage, called “nearly perfect” by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and one to stock up on with wild abandon. 

Now, imagine the chance to experience the magic of a perfectly aged wine without the waiting, or the storage, or lugging it from one home to the next—for up to 54% off what you would have paid in 2009. 

That’s what we’re offering you today. This perfectly-aged, old-school Rioja is ready for the spotlight, and available to Wine Access members at the best price in the nation—while our special allocation lasts.

Because Wine Access members have been devoted fans of Bodegas Riojanas since we first began selling wine on the internet in 2004, we’ve unlocked rare access to the estate’s pristine Gran Reserva. This dazzling crimson wine has been slumbering soundly in the Bodegas Riojanas cellars since bottling over ten years ago, and is drinking beautifully today.

Built to last, this is old-school Rioja in the best possible way: Aromas of rose, tobacco, and polished leather harmonize with tart cherry, dried strawberry, and fig on the palate in a red that’s simultaneously rustic and sophisticated. Like a Corvette convertible, this wine is a classic, and good luck finding a similar bottle for $40. As sommeliers and retailers have rallied around Riojas aged to perfection in Spanish cellars, these bottles are disappearing in record time.

Bodegas Riojanas was founded in the heart of Rioja Alta in 1890, during the region’s glory years. In 2004, a slightly-cool August was followed by a steady, warm September, which allowed the Tempranillo to ripen perfectly: Decanter called 2004 a perfect 5 out of 5 and named Rioja Alta one of the best appellations of the vintage. After two years in American oak and a decade in bottle, this one is teeming with dried red fruit, citrus, and mahogany. 

Across Rioja, time moves at a different pace than it does in the cellars of Napa Valley, Burgundy, and Bordeaux. Through the gnarly vineyards that follow the curves of the Ebro river, weaving through ancient stone cathedrals and sun-soaked plazas, the vintners are just as meticulous as their counterparts, but never race toward a new release. Instead, storied wineries like Bodegas Riojanas wait patiently—usually with a glass in hand—telling collectors to buzz off until the wines are aged to perfection. After fifteen years, today’s 2004 Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Gran Reserva just got the green light. 

It’s easy: Order, open, and enjoy.