& Eneko
⏳ Drinking Window
2025 - 2035
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Slow-roasted lamb shoulder, grilled ribeye steak, or aged sheep's milk cheeses like Manchego.
✨ Technical Specifications
Faustino & Eneko represents a prestigious collaboration between the historic Bodegas Faustino—a pillar of Rioja winemaking since 1861—and the visionary, multi-Michelin-starred Basque chef Eneko Atxa. Born from a shared passion for land, heritage, and gastronomy, this modern Rioja Red is crafted primarily from Tempranillo grapes grown in the clay-limestone soils of Rioja Alavesa. Unlike the ultra-traditional, long-aged Gran Reservas for which Faustino is globally famous, this cuvée is designed with contemporary gastronomy in mind. It undergoes careful maceration and aging in select French oak barrels, resulting in a wine that beautifully balances vibrant black fruit, refined mineral undertones, and integrated sweet spices, capturing both the soul of Rioja Alavesa and the avant-garde spirit of Basque culinary art.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1861 by Eleuterio Martínez Arzok in Oyón, Bodegas Faustino remains an icon of classic Rioja viticulture under the multi-generational stewardship of the Martínez Zabala family. The estate commands approximately 650 hectares across Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta, with core holdings spanning Oyón, Laguardia, and Mendavia. Here, Atlantic-influenced continental conditions and clay-limestone soils provide an ideal canvas for late-ripening Tempranillo, alongside Graciano, Mazuelo, and Viura. Viticulture emphasizes sustainable stewardship, certified under Sustainable Wineries for Climate Protection. In the cellars, Faustino champions prolonged elevage in American and French oak followed by extended bottle resting, maintaining an inventory of over 60,000 casks and millions of maturing bottles. While the bodega produces crisp Viura whites, fruit-forward rosados, and method traditional Cava Reserva, it is universally revered for Faustino I Gran Reserva—an archetypal, cellar-worthy benchmark distinguished by tertiary spice, refined leather, polished acidity, and its iconic frosted bottle bearing Rembrandt's portrait.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo