2004 Faustino I Gran Reserva Rioja

One of the most recognizable bottles of Rioja is the 2004 Faustino I Gran Reserva, mostly Tempranillo with 9% Graciano 9% and 5% Mazuelo (Cariñena), aged for 26 months in oak barrels. The nose is as classical as it gets, with tertiary aromas of bonfire, paprika, cured meat, leather and spices, highly recognizable as Rioja, clean and balanced, a big improvement over the 2001 I tasted last time. The palate is medium-bodied and polished with a fine texture, good acidity and persistence. This is subtle, with well-integrated oak. It is a textbook Rioja Gran Reserva. Half a million bottles of this wine are produced, and I'm sure there is more than one lot, but it's remarkable that they can make that quantity of a Gran Reserva.