Description
Country : Spain
Grape Varieties : Tempranillo; Graciano; Mazuelo.
Very elegant Gran Reserva from the cellars of Bodegas Franco-Espanolas. Dark, complex and mature, this smooth, supple red shows all the smokey intensity and and mature, dark fruit you would expect from a wine aged for five years.
Tasting Note : Black fruits and spice on the nose. The palate is smooth and complex, with secondary flavours of tobacco, dark chocolate and spice overlaying black fruit tones. The finish is long and concentrated.
Food Pairing : Venison; boeuf bourguignon; char-grilled steak; mature, rich cheeses. Sip by the fire on a winter’s night.
More info : To be labelled Gran Reserva in Rioja, a wine must be aged for a minimum of 24 months in oak and 3 in bottle before being released. Bodegas Franco-Espanolas give this wine the statutory 24 months in medium-toast American barrels, and use their very best parcels of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo to ensure a bold, powerful wine capable of ageing well. After bottling, the wine rests in the cellars for at least 3 years, until the winemaker judges it is ready for release.
Winery : Bodegas Franco-Espanolas was founded in 1890 at a time when French winemakers were moving to Spain to escape the scourge of phylloxera which was devastating their vineyards. Originally a collaboration between Fréderic Anglade Saunat from France and various Spanish partners, the winery has consistently produced high quality wines over the past 125 years. Now under the ownership of the Eguizabal family, there are lots of new projects underway to keep the winery evolving in line with modern requirements, without losing its links with history and tradition. The wines from this producer really do offer fantastic quality for price; we highly recommend them.
