Old-school Rioja is one of the world’s most unique, satisfying, and versatile wine expressions. From cool, high-altitude vineyards in the prestigious Rioja Alavesa zone, Bodegas Faustino’s 2013 Reserva V sports a black cherry color gradating to chestnut and a beautiful amber rim. Deep and complex aromatically, the Reserva V offers vibrant aromas of black cherry skin, tamari, pipe tobacco, vanilla bean, and dusty earth. The wine’s suave and velvety palate texture opens to reveal suggestions of sour cherry and tangy black currant fruit backed by fine tannins and notes of tarry earth, coconut husk, cloves, and sarsaparilla. Buoyant acidity lifts the wine’s inner core of saturated Tempranillo (92%) and Mazuelo fruit before segueing to a long, cedar, tobacco, and leather-tinged finish. Delicious, distinctive, and sure to delight all fans of traditional Rioja, Faustino’s Reserva can be served now and over the coming ten to fifteen years with hearty meat dishes, potatoes sauteed in olive oil, hearty bean stews, braised duck, and hard sheep’s milk cheeses.
