Viña Olabarri Rioja Gran Reserva 2001

At the pinnacle of Rioja’s wine hierarchy is the esteemed Gran Reserva, a wine that has spent a minimum of two years in oak barrels and an additional three years in bottle before release. The complexity that this leisurely and expensive aging period affords is immense, as exemplified by this eleven-year-old Rioja Reserva from Viña Olabarri. Opaque plum-ruby in the glass, Olabarri’s 2001 Gran Reserva casts tobacco and cedar-infused aromas of black currants, plums and menthol. Deep and fleshy, this classic Rioja fusion of 80% Tempranillo and a 20% blend of Graciano and Mazuelo stains the palate with bright cassis and cherry fruit backed by a lashing of fine, firm tannins and classic, brisk Tempranillo acidity. Hints of camphor, cigar tobacco, leather, coconut oil, game and vanilla creep in on the wine’s long, structured finish. This is classic old-school Rioja Reserva and a wine that can be enjoyed now with hearty roasts of beef and grilled lamb, or, ideally, stashed away in a cool cellar for another decade or two to allow all its structural components to meld together.

A December 2012 Newsletter selection.