96pts Wine Enthusiast

This deep-garnet-colored wine has aromas of blackberry, black currant and olive tapenade. It is soft at first sip, and then rugged tannins build on the palate, ferrying flavors of dark plum, pomegranate, cocoa powder, thyme and orange zest that wend their way to a surprisingly bright finish. Drink through 2035. 13.5% abv 

95pts James Suckling

An extremely well-aged and understated Rioja, showing discreet complexity with plums, oranges, leather, dusty red berries and minerals. Juicy and bright on the palate with a zesty nature to the berry and orange citrus. Silky, taut tannins and a long yet elegant finish. Lots of finesse here, with almost pinot etherealness. Tempranillo, graciano and mazuelo from selected plots. 36 months aging, with American oak in use, too. Drinkable now, but can hold for another 10 years. (7/15/22)

94pts Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine

(tempranillo, graciano, mazuelo). Colour: dark-red cherry, garnet rim. Nose: ripe fruit, tobacco, sweet spices, dried herbs, meaty notes. Palate: spicy, round tannins, long. (2023)

Winemaker Notes

The classic Faustino Gran Reserva Rioja is an immediately recognizable wine, with its opaque, stony-textured bottle that protects the fragile, well-aged liquid inside from harmful light rays. But the Gran Faustino I that we're highlighting today is quite special, and naturally quite limited!

The Gran Faustino 2004 Gran Reserva is a 40th anniversary homage to the first release of the standard Faustino I Gran Reserva bottling. It's fortunate that 2004 was rated as an "excellent" vintage, allowing the winery to preserve a top selection of wines for this special bottling! The Tempranillo, Graciano, and Mazuelo (aka Carignan) that went into the final blend were aged for at least 38 months in oak; the wine was then aged in bottle until getting fresh corks and gold labels that were specially designed for the release. Each bottle also comes in a gift box, making for a presentation worthy of gifting.

With many of today's Spanish wines being powerhouse in style, it's easy to forget that the gently rolling vineyards in the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria mountain range are an ideal place for making classically balanced wines of restraint. The Gran Faustino has a fully-saturated deep garnet hue, a healthy sign in an older wine. With some air, the classic Riojan aromas of cedar and vanilla, along with ripe, cordial-style fruit elegantly streams from the glass. The subtle cocoa-dusted plum and strawberry comes with black currant, followed by subtle savory accents of herbs and olive. The texture is pleasantly soft on entry, with the slightest grip of tannin into the finish. In the mouth, it's a very traditional mid-bodied, dry Rioja; the fruit provides just enough juiciness, countered by the savory qualities, and tapers to a fine, gently brightly-fruited finish that lingers. This is a wine that's light on its feet, with a remarkable purity and delicacy to the fruit that has remained through the years. Serve with subtly-flavored roasts (lamb, pork) in wine and herb sauce, and lentil-based dishes.