Paternina 1928 Gran Reserva

Wine: Paternina 1928 Gran Reserva

Winery: Bodegas Federico Paternina (Ollauri, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano.
ABV: [Not specified]
Winemaking

Meticulous grape selection from estate-owned plots in Rioja Alta and long-standing local growers. The wine spent 18 to 24 months in foundational-era large oak vats to complete fermentation and stabilize before racking. It was subsequently aged in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels (among other capacities), undergoing periodic manual rackings until its bottling in mid-1968. Bottles were released upon request directly from the winery’s historic cellars.

 

Tasting Notes:
 

Appearance: Extremely pale, translucent brownish-ruby with an exceptionally low pigment load. In the glass, it resembles an aged brandy, displaying amber, mahogany, and orange highlights. A very fine, slightly turbid grainy sediment is visible at the base. The broad, tawny rim merges seamlessly with the meniscus.

 

Nose: While its visual age might suggest a wine past its prime, the nose immediately proves otherwise. Refined and fully expressive, it showcases that rare reductive elegance found only in Paternina’s pre-1960s Gran Reservas. This is one of Rioja's true titans. The classic bouquet epitomizes the winery’s historic identity: glimpses of roasted coffee beans, withered roses, and a smoky potpourri of peppers. This is underpinned by an increasingly powerful earthy core of terracotta, clay, and leaf litter, harmonized with nuances of raisins, chestnut cream, and a nearly imperceptible patina of exotic woods. A subtle trail of sage and highland herbs adds a lifted, fresh dimension. Expansive and unwavering.

 

Palate: Impeccably rounded and seamless. It is broad, orderly, and understated, offering sensations of extreme maturity—highlighted by a delicate hint of sweetness—without sacrificing the sparkling vivacity and freshness synonymous with vintage Paternina. The tannins are world-class, supporting a spicy, persistent acidity that lingers for hours. It is staggering to contemplate that this wine is nearly a century old; it possesses more than enough structural integrity to reach its centennial in peak condition.

 

Personal Score: 97
Tasting Group Score: 98

Ernest Hemingway "chispeante" en una de sus visitas a los calados de Conde de los Andes, en la bodega Federico Paternina, a mediados de los años 50.