I Gran Reserva
⏳ Drinking Window
2020 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted lamb, cured Manchego cheese, wild mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Faustino I Gran Reserva is an undisputed icon of Rioja, instantly recognizable worldwide by its frosted bottle wrapped in gold wire mesh and adorned with Rembrandt's 1641 portrait of the merchant Nicolaes van Bambeeck—a design originally conceived to deter counterfeiters and shield the wine from light. Sourced from the estate's premium parcels in Rioja Alavesa, where chalky-clay soils and Atlantic influences yield grapes of outstanding structural elegance, this wine is a traditional blend dominated by Tempranillo, alongside Graciano and Mazuelo. It undergoes rigorous aging, spending at least 26 months in a combination of American and French oak casks followed by several years of refinement in the estate's dark cellars. This patient process yields a complex, savory profile defined by notes of stewed plums, leather, sweet spices, and tobacco, framed by silky tannins.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1861 by Eleuterio Martínez Arzok, Bodegas Faustino is an iconic, family-owned estate situated in Oyón within Spain's prestigious Rioja Alavesa region. Now guided by the fourth generation of the Martínez Zabala family, the winery oversees more than 650 hectares of prime vineyards across Rioja, championing traditional viticulture alongside meticulous barrel-aging programs. Globally recognized by its distinctive frosted glass bottles and historic Rembrandt portrait labels, the house is celebrated for its classically styled, elegant wines—most notably the flagship Faustino I Gran Reserva, accompanied by acclaimed Reservas, expressive Crianzas, and refreshing traditional-method Cavas.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo