The Tasting Panel magazine

October 2018

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october 2018  /  the tasting panel  /  51 R ioja, the first of only two Spanish wine regions to attain Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) status—the country's highest quality level of appellation control— possesses an unconventional swagger despite being one of the world's most traditionally defined regions. There is something radical, for instance, about the fact that the current vintage of producer Bodegas Faustino's Faustino I Gran Reserva Rioja is a 2005. What wine region considers a 13-year- old wine to be finally "ready" for consumer consumption, yet also suitable for another ten to 20 years of cellaring? None other than Rioja, of course. Upon tasting the wine, however, one is starkly confronted with sensory qualities on par with other regions' red wines that are five or even ten years younger: bright, youthful coloring; focused berry aromas with exotic tea-like complexity; and a solid, supple, tooth- some mouthfeel bolstered by serious, grippy tannins. The Faustino 2005 Gran Reserva is a slight deviation from traditional-style, ageworthy examples from old vines, which offer an elegance all their own with softer fruit and sweet vanilla aromas from extended time spent in American oak. This vintage instead represents a pure expression of the varieties in a fresh, vibrant style without becoming over-extracted or internationalized. It's down- right subversive, in this sense, that a wine can make such a success- ful departure from a region's past associations without sacrificing one bit of its soul or distinction: It's still suave and sexy "Rioja." The Advantages of Faustino's Longevity Grupo Faustino itself defies convention—at least by today's standards. For starters, it hasn't "gone corporate," remaining owned and operated by descendants of Eleuterio Martínez Arzok, who founded Bodegas Faustino 157 years ago in 1861. Currently at the helm are Carmen and Lourdes Martínez Zabala, who represent the fam- ily's fourth generation of ownership. Bodegas Faustino's success and longev- ity have vaulted it to its proud status as the second-largest estate in the Rioja DOCa, with 4,015 acres mostly in Rioja's Laguardia and Oyón areas. Despite the winery's prestige, it ensures wines like the 2005 Faustino I Rioja Gran Reserva remain easily accessible. Faustino is Rioja's leading exporter of Gran Reserva and Reserva reds, selling in 120 countries (in the U.S., it's represented by Palm Bay International) and claiming nearly 40 percent of the category's market share. As these wines proliferate across the globe, their terroir-related authenticity remains impeccable. Faustino's Reserva and Gran Reservas are produced entirely from estate plantings in Rioja Alavesa, which, at elevations between 1,804–2,296 feet above sea level, is known for its lower- vigor and calcareous-clay soils, which impart higher acid levels. PHOTOS COURTESY OF BODEGAS FAUSTINO Bodegas Faustino was founded in 1861 in Rioja Alavesa, Spain.

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