Gran Zaco Vendimia Especial 1973 Gran Reserva

Wine: Gran Zaco Vendimia Especial 1973 Gran Reserva

Winery: Bodegas Bilbaínas (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 70% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha
ABV: 12%

Winemaking
Grapes sourced entirely from the historic Finca Zaco. The wine spent an initial 18 months in large, seasoned wooden vats. It then underwent between 7 and 9 years of aging in 225-liter American oak barrels, with several manual rackings performed. Filtered prior to bottling and aged for a minimum of 48 months in the bottle before its commercial release.

Note of Interest
Labeled as Vino de Crianza by the Control Board, this special bottling holds the status of a Gran Reserva due to its extensive aging. Produced only in exceptional vintages—scarcely four times in 50 years. Originally marketed as "Vendimia Especial" (Black and Red labels) until the 1962 vintage, when "Zaco" was added to denote its single-estate origin (Vino de Finca). Marketed starting in 1989.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Remarkably stable color, surpassing other wines of the same vintage and winery. Intense cherry of medium-high depth; clean and bright with reddish highlights.

 

Nose: Well-defined, open, and intense. It offers an overflowing abundance of ripe red fruits, almost liqueur-like: kirsch, sloes, watermelon, arbutus berries, pomegranate, and strawberry jam. Endless and suggestive. Elegant, with a high-quality citrus touch. The oak remains in the background, contributing light toasted notes, aromatic coffee, undergrowth, smoked spices, black truffle, and withered flowers.

 

Palate: Pure preserves supported by superb acidity. Concentrated and full-bodied, it displays unusual breadth and a hint of sweetness characteristic of a great wine. It retains its youth and fruit, with soft, fruity, and caressing tannins. Light on the palate, exceptionally fresh, with citrus and bitter notes that provide brilliance to the ensemble. It overflows with life and roundness. The final production of Gran Zaco in history—an unrepeatable red.

 

Personal Score: 96
Tasting Group Score: 97

 

Tasting Notes (2013-03-13)

 

Appearance: Intense cherry hue, more extracted than usual for a wine of similar vintage and winery; medium-high depth with a garnet rim. Brilliant and luminous.

 

Nose: Initially sluggish, requiring a couple of hours of aeration to gain intensity. Pure finesse and elegance, featuring a marmalade-like Garnacha—almost citrusy—that perfumes the entire ensemble. It opens majestically, revealing roasted notes, coffee beans, petals, and oriental spices (allspice, coriander seeds, black cardamom, fenugreek), alongside clove and fresh vanilla. It evolves continuously, gaining remarkable depth.

 

Palate: It possesses an immense structure; bone-dry, concentrated, and powerful. It is filled with exquisite red fruit preserves and soft bitters (sweet citrus) bolstered by intense acidity. Vibrant and expressive, though its greatest assets are its elegance and subtlety, with a style closer to Bordeaux than to Burgundy. It remains remarkably integral with firm, lively tannins reminiscent of the legendary 1962 and 1964 Gran Zaco vintages. Without a doubt, the finest red from Bodegas Bilbaínas—a superb example of the "semipastoso" style of the era, which crowned the estate's Gran Reserva range. Not to be confused with the standard Vendimia Especial, this is a selection of the premier grapes from the historic Finca Zaco vineyard, as rare as it is excellent. A wine crafted to endure, best left sleeping in the cellar.

 

Personal Score: 96
Tasting Group Score: 96