Faustino I Gran Reserva 75 Aniversario 2017

Bodega Faustino release this Gran Reserva as a tribute to Julio Faustino Martínez, the winery president, drawing on more than 150 years of experience at the estate in Ovón, in the Rioja Alavesa. The wine is made from Tempranillo grown across vineyards between Laguardia and Ovón, in a Mediterranean climate strongly tempered by the cool, damp Cantabrian influence from the north. That maritime moderation extends the growing season and keeps the fruit fresh and finely structured rather than jammy, holding the wine to a measured 13.5% alcohol. The Gran Reserva category demands long ageing, and here the wine spends eleven months in American oak followed by fourteen months in French oak. The extended time in barrel allows slow oxygen exchange that softens the tannins and develops the savoury, tertiary character of leather and tobacco, while the two oak types layer sweet spice and a fine cedar frame. The wine is mature garnet red. The nose shows red cherry, dried plum, leather, tobacco and vanilla. The palate is elegant and structured, with soft, integrated tannins, bright acidity and a long savoury finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanting half an hour ahead. It suits roast lamb and game.