Bodegas Bilbaínas Vendimia Especial 1962 Gran Reserva

Wine: Bodegas Bilbaínas Vendimia Especial 1962 Gran Reserva

Winery: Bodegas Bilbaínas (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 65% Tempranillo, 35% Garnacha
ABV: [Not specified]
Winemaking

Grapes sourced entirely from the historic Finca Zaco. The wine initially spent 18 months in large oak vats to complete fermentation and stabilize before racking. It underwent an extensive aging period of 7 to 9 years in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels, with several manual rackings (trasiegas) performed each year. Filtered prior to bottling. A minimum of 48 months of bottle aging was completed before its commercial release. 

Historical Note

This wine carried no formal aging classification on the label at times, though it was occasionally marketed as Crianza, Reserva, or Gran Reserva. It is a special bottling with the stature of a Gran Reserva due to its prolonged aging. Produced only in exceptional vintages—scarcely four times in 50 years. During the 1950s and early 1960s, it was sold under the "Vendimia Especial" label in two versions: Black Label and Red Label. From the 1962 vintage onwards, the name "Zaco" or "Gran Zaco" was added to designate it as a "Single Vineyard" wine.

 

Tasting Notes:
 

Appearance: Medium-bodied brownish-ruby; slightly opaque and dark with a grainy texture due to very fine sediment that doesn't quite settle at the base. It shows reddish and orange highlights with a broad, tawny (tile-red) rim.

 

Nose: Highly complex and powerful, expressive from the moment the cork is pulled. Dominant notes of candied fruit, dried apricots, and cherries in liqueur are layered over a toasted backdrop reminiscent of fine woods (cedar), cocoa powder, and cloves. It continues to evolve, revealing sloe and maraschino nuances alongside wild herbaceous notes: balsam, menthol, citrus peel, sage, and Spanish broom. It never falters, eventually showing a profile halfway between creamy oak and tertiary notes of dried mushrooms, truffle, and fresh chestnuts. Immense personality.

 

Palate: Built with remarkable solidity. Broad, mature, and full-bodied, it delivers a generous concentration of reduced red fruits and layers of spice. It retains the "grip" (garra) expected of a Bilbaínas Vendimia Especial, with polished tannins seamlessly integrated into a fluid, fresh, almost citrus-like acidity. While perhaps the least "elegant" or refined wine from this producer, it is arguably the one with the strongest personality decades after bottling. One could not ask for more. A monumental wine.

 

Personal Score: 94
Tasting Group Score: 94

 Etiqueta de una de las marcas más populares de Bodegas Bilbaínas, el Cepa de Oro 1959 Blanco, etiquetado especial para el mercado estadounidense.