Winemaker Notes
It only occurs in exceptional vintages and with a limited quantity of bottles.
Garnet and cherry hues introduce this bright Great Reserve with light orange reflections on the rim.
Varietal Composition: 90% Tempranillo, 10% GracianoThe unique vinification process of this Great Reserve provides a complex, elegant nose with notes of licorice and redfruit, typical of the Tempranillo, along with hints of spices subtly added by the Graciano. During bottle ageing, all of this is assembled with toasty and balsamic aromas (vanilla, pepper, tobacco) contributed by the barrels.
As the wine is aired in the glass, it discloses its full range of nuances and complex aromas. In the mouth, it reflects our surroundings, with a mild entry and a sense of elegance and balance, ending in long persistence, denoting the craft of barrel ageing and the assemblage provided by a long stay in the bottle.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
"A ripe and plush 2011 Gran Reserva that is brimming with blue fruit and is only just beginning to gain some mature character. Good concentration and, more importantly, it's very lively with a silky texture and graceful harmony right through the long finish. Drink or hold."
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Decanter
"10% Graciano is added to the blend of the 2011 – a vintage that winemaker Alejandro López describes as ‘although early, potentially one of the best in decades’. This gran reserva shows better integration of oak and fruit. Smoky, slightly meaty notes are joined by coffee, licorice, dark chocolate and red berry fruits, and a vein of acidity that’s keeping this wine going strong. The classic, rustic style went very well with the food served on the night, and is drinking very well now. Alternatively, keep for another five years."
Hailed as the star red variety in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Tempranillo from Rioja, or simply labeled, “Rioja,” produces elegant wines with complex notes of red and black fruit, crushed rock, leather, toast and tobacco, whose best examples are fully capable of decades of improvement in the cellar.
Rioja wines are typically a blend of fruit from its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta and Alavesa, at the highest elevations, are considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier, Rioja Oriental, produce wines with deep color, great body and richness.