Wine: Paternina Cepa Borgoña 1933Winery: Federico Paternina (Ollauri, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 45% Tempranillo, 35% Garnacha, 20% Mazuelo and Graciano.
ABV: 11.5% vol. (1977 analysis)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 45% Tempranillo, 35% Garnacha, 20% Mazuelo and Graciano.
ABV: 11.5% vol. (1977 analysis)
Winemaking
Grapes selected from various plots in Rioja Alta owned by the estate and local growers. The wine spent between 16 and 20 months in original founding-era large wooden vats to complete fermentation and settle. It was then aged in seasoned American oak barrels of various capacities—primarily 225-liter Bordeaux style—for a period between 60 and 105 months. Periodic manual rackings (trasiegos) were performed until bottling. Bottles were commercialized upon request directly from the winery's historic underground cellars in Ollauri.
Grapes selected from various plots in Rioja Alta owned by the estate and local growers. The wine spent between 16 and 20 months in original founding-era large wooden vats to complete fermentation and settle. It was then aged in seasoned American oak barrels of various capacities—primarily 225-liter Bordeaux style—for a period between 60 and 105 months. Periodic manual rackings (trasiegos) were performed until bottling. Bottles were commercialized upon request directly from the winery's historic underground cellars in Ollauri.
Tasting Notes
Appearance:
A challenging uncorking; the heavy lead capsule had fused with the
cork, creating an impenetrable seal. The wine shows a very pale
brownish-ruby color of low depth; slightly turbid with fine
particulates. Signs of over-oxidation and limited color stability.
Coppery and orange reflections, matte, with significant sediment at the
base. The wide, tawny rim is indistinguishable from the meniscus.
Nose: A mysterious wine revealing unprecedented registers: ferruginous notes, blood, iodine, caramelized sugar, arrope
(grape syrup), flint, and gunpowder. While one might call it highly
reduced or oxidized, it transcends those terms. An amalgam of toasted
notes (hearth, charcoal) evolves into burnt coffee, dried flowers,
aromatic herbs, and seeds (fennel, star anise), all marked by a balsamic
and "apothecary" accent. It remains dense and suggestive, showing an
earthy backdrop of leaf litter, chestnut husks, damp earth, and a
potpourri of smoked peppers. Immense personality; the glass remains
perfumed for days.
Palate:
Dangerously close to the end of its life, yet it has not crossed that
final line. Fragile, thin, and extremely fine, showing immense
roundness. A ghostly trail of acidity appears and fades, clinging to
earthy, mineral, and intensely spiced nuances. This bottle felt like a
funeral rite for the old Paternina treasures of the alchemist Etienne
Labatut—a gift from over 60 years ago by Doña María Luisa Olano, the
legendary manager who built the winery’s myth. Rescued from the "ICU,"
this 1933 proves that Federico Paternina’s ancient wines can still touch
the Rioja sky.
Commentary
Of three bottles opened (1931, 1934, and 1933), this was the sole survivor, and what a survivor it is. It represents a style of winemaking that no longer exists—a bridge to the early 20th century. A transcendent experience for any serious taster, proving that time, when merciful, can turn a simple beverage into a profound, haunting relic.
Of three bottles opened (1931, 1934, and 1933), this was the sole survivor, and what a survivor it is. It represents a style of winemaking that no longer exists—a bridge to the early 20th century. A transcendent experience for any serious taster, proving that time, when merciful, can turn a simple beverage into a profound, haunting relic.
Personal Score: 98
Tasting Group Average: 98
Tasting Group Average: 98
No comments:
Post a Comment