1973 Faustino Rioja I Gran Reserva

Community Tasting Notes (9) Avg Score: 92.8 points

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  5/17/2022 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 97 Points

  What a remarkable wine! YEY!
  
  Started off as an acidic, thin juice but grew back claws after some 4-ish hours after dbl decanting. Great constitution. A fan-fruckin-tastic wine!
  
  Long, complex, sarsaparilla and all the aromas you could possibly muster up when it comes to Rioja, except dill. I live happily without the dill. Happy acidity and a tannic backbone that makes you wonder what this must have been like, back in the day.
  
  I would label this rather mature, but absolutely no need to hurry. It will stay this way for possibly another generation.

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  11/2/2021 - forceberry wrote: 95 Points

  A blend of Tempranillo (70%), Graciano (15%) and Mazuelo (15%). First the wine aged for 16 months in concrete tanks, after which the wine is transferred to old American (90%) and Slavonian (10%) oak barriques, in which the wine is aged for 2-3 years. Bottle #63861. I was told the cork seemed quite loose, there was a tiny leak and moderate ullage. Tasted blind.
  
  Moderately evolved and rather translucent pale cherry red color with a mature pomegranate-red hue. Fragrant, evolved and very attractive nose with complex aromas of old leather saddle, some ripe strawberry, a little bit of dried dill, light sweet notes of wizened red fruits and dried cranberries, a hint of earth and a savory touch of old wood spice. The wine is silky smooth, resolved and moderately evolved on the palate with layered flavors of wizened cranberries and wild strawberries, some sour cherry bitterness, light leathery tones, a little bit of dill, a hint of phenolic spice and a touch of savory old wood. The structure relies more on the high acidity, although the quite resolved, gently grippy medium-plus tannins, that slowly pile up on the gums, bring some welcome firmness to the mouthfeel as well. The finish is long, complex and gently grippy with savory, layered flavors of wizened cherries and sweet strawberries, some bretty notes of leather saddle and stable floor, light crunchy cranberry tones, a hint of dill and a faint touch of vanilla.
  
  Virtually everybody seemed to notice the subtle yet somewhat perceptible dill notes quite quickly and after this point it was only the question of whether the wine was an aged Rioja or an old Californian wine matured in American oak barrels. As old Rioja seemed a more likely possibility, we went with that - and that is what this wine was. This classic 48-yo Rioja is still fully alive and kickin', showing a good deal of tertiary complexity (and an understated yet also detectable streak of bretty funk, typical of Faustino) yet also more than enough fruit and vibrancy to make the wine feel balanced and fully enjoyable. Although I expect any further aging potential to be very limited, the wine doesn't feel like it is going to be getting downhill anytime soon. All in all, a fantastic mature Rioja at its peak. Good value at 49€.

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  1/1/2019 - decaturwinedude wrote: 93 Points

  Super clean bottle, great fill. Very rioja right out of the gate. Mushroom and earth and a blackberry liquor scent, just lovely nose. Amazing power and concentration at 45 yrs of age. It feels like an older wine, but at the same time, youthful. Held up well over several hours. Glad to have additional bottles!

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  5/6/2017 - GonzaloManzaneda Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Corcho en buen estado pero, debido a las prisas, solo he podido sacar la mitad.
  Color morado de capa media baja, muy brillante y sin lágrima alguna.
  En nariz es una pasada, especies como clavo, comino, pimienta... Maderas nobles, algo de humedad y sotobosque. Flagrante, huele desde bien lejos de la copa. Incluso fruta roja madura o en confit. Muy interesante en cuanto aromas.
  En boca es pura redondez, con taninos super agradables e integrado en el conjunto. El retronasal es pura especie, largo, largo... No se va de la boca he incita a seguir bebiendo.
  Impresionante, no esperaba tanto de un Faustino. Tal vez esperaba, madera, madera y madera pero este tiene algo especial. Lástima que sea la última botella. Un 9,2!

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  12/11/2015 - Periko Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Gresca: a pre-Xmas lunch (Gresca Restaurant - Barcelona): Second bottle in a month, both very good. Decanted for sediments.
  
  Pristine bottle: Not much to say here as it's texbook Rioja. Typical bouquet and palate of old, well aged Rioja: Mushrooms, cedar, cigar box, dried fruit, red fruit with liquour. A pleasure of a 42 year old wine. Both bottles drank very good although this wine had a bit less energy on palate than the previous one. Both bottles courtesy of a good friend, thanks Oscar, I know you will read this one! 92-93

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