V Reserva
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 4–10 years from release
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roast rack of lamb with rosemary, grilled Ibérico pork secreto, aged Manchego cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced primarily from high-altitude vineyards situated in Rioja Alavesa, this Reserva draws from clay-limestone soils that impart natural tension and structural finesse. The blend centers around Tempranillo complemented by a small proportion of Mazuelo. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats with extended skin maceration to extract balanced tannins. Following alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, the wine matures for a minimum of 16 to 18 months in selected American oak casks, where it develops classic notes of spice and dried vanilla before undergoing further refinement in bottle prior to release.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1861 by Eleuterio Martínez Arzok, Bodegas Faustino stands as one of the preeminent historic estates of Rioja Alavesa, now guided by the fourth generation of the Martínez Zabala family. Headquartered in Oyón, the estate controls roughly 650 hectares of prime vineyards distributed across Oyón, Laguardia, and Mendavia. These sites benefit from a confluence of Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, where vines flourish in poor, chalky clay-limestone soils ideally suited to low-yielding Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo, and Viura. Viticulture balances precision canopy management with certified sustainable methods under the Sustainable Wineries for Climate Protection framework. In the cellar, led by enologist Juan José Díez González, Faustino exemplifies benchmark classic Rioja, defined by decades-long barrel and bottle maturation using both American and French oak. Renowned internationally for its iconic frosted bottle bearing Rembrandt’s portrait of Nicolaes van Bambeeck, the flagship Faustino I Gran Reserva is complemented by classical Reservas and traditional-method Cavas, capturing timeless tertiary complexity, bright acidity, and refined structure.
🍇 Grape Varieties
90% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5%