Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1036886
52 / the tasting panel / october 2018 Talking Rioja with Rafael Martínez Palacios In 2013, Decanter magazine's peerless panel of reviewers rated the 2001 Faustino I Gran Reserva its top wine of the year, giving it a rating equal to the 2010 Château Haut-Brion and 2010 Château Mouton Rothschild. Consequently, the current standard price of this vintage comes in at roughly $1,100 per bottle. The average retail price of Faustino's 2005 Gran Reserva, on the other hand? Between $35 and $38. When you consider the iconic parameters of this category—requiring a minimum of five years of aging, at least two of which must be spent in oak—plus Faustino's additional time and crafts- manship, this makes the price tag particularly increíble. The Tasting Panel recently met with Rafael Martínez Palacios, who has served as Chief Winemaker of Bodegas Faustino for more than 30 years. During our interview, he provided an insider's perspective of the winery's vineyards, oak regimes, and delineations of Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva. The Tasting Panel: What are the advantages of owning vineyards in Rioja Alavesa? Rafael Martínez Palacios: For one, the chalky clay soils drain rainwater very well and have low organic quality, which affects yield and leads directly to higher-quality wines. The region also has a continental climate influenced by the Atlantic; we have cold winters and hot summers, yet temperatures are never extreme. These conditions are ideal for varieties like Tempranillo, as well as Graciano and Mazuelo [also known as Carignan]. Does Faustino use Graciano and Mazuelo in all of its red wines? The Faustino V Reserva is usu- ally about 92% Tempranillo and 8% Mazuelo, and the Faustino I Gran Reserva normally has both Graciano and Mazuelo blended with Tempranillo. We use Graciano in our finest wines because it contributes color and acidity, and to a lesser degree, it adds its own character to the blend. Mazuelo contributes acidity and, also to a lesser degree, flavor. What is the average vine age in your Rioja Alavesa vineyards, and how are the vines trained and selected? For the most part, our vineyards are head-trained. We reserve gobelet [head] pruning for the older vines. Most of our estate vineyards date back to the 1970s, but we do cultivate vines more than 50 years old. Vines that are in poor condition or damaged are occasionally replaced. The older vineyards consist of selections that have traditionally worked very well on these sites, and younger vineyards are planted with clones selected according to the winery's needs. Why is extended barrel-aging such an important tradition in Rioja? Wines made from Tempranillo can have a complex structure and therefore need longer time in barrels. It is always a matter of seeking a balance between wine and barrel to achieve ideal refine- ment. The Gran Reserva is usually aged a little longer—at least 26 months—in the barrel than Reserva at 18 months and Crianza at 15. Why has American oak been tradition- ally used in Rioja, and has there been a movement away from it in recent years? The advantage of American oak has always been its quick transfer of flavor and tannin, as well as its lower price. Our Gran Reserva is aged in both French and American oak; French oak is subtler with its aromatic properties and tannin, and this fits in perfectly with Gran Reserva wines, adding to their complexity in terms of COVER STORY Rafael Martínez Palacios has been the Chief Winemaker of Bodegas Faustino for more than 30 years. Much like the facilities they're produced in, Bodegas Faustino's wines blend tradition with an unconventional swagger.