Paternina 1922 Gran Reserva

Wine: Paternina 1922 Gran Reserva

Winery: Bodegas Federico Paternina (Ollauri, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 70% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano.
ABV: — (Not specified)

Winemaking

Grapes selected from various plots in Rioja Alta owned by the winery and local growers. The wine remained for 24 months in large founding-era wooden vats until the completion of fermentation and settling before racking. It was aged in used 225-liter American oak barrels as well as foudres of varying capacities. Subjected to periodic manual rackings, particularly during the first 5 years of aging, until bottling, which took place from 1960 onwards. Bottled directly from the barrel. Commercialized upon order from the winery’s underground cellars.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Brownish-ruby color with medium-low depth; very clear with minimal extraction. Slightly grainy, with very fine suspended particles that diminish its brilliance. There is no distinction between the rim and the meniscus; entirely tawny/brick-colored. A profound sense of old age, more reminiscent of an ancient brandy.

 

Nose: There is no need to waste words: this wine is the ultimate example of the classical bouquet that an aged Rioja can present. An encyclopedia of descriptors; everything one could imagine and more. Among others, a suggestive earthy and mineral aroma of pencil lead, graphite, and old wood that strikes with the memory of school days and bitten pencils. Deep, complex, and telluric—born from the depths of Rioja—mysterious and ever-changing.

 

Palate: On the palate, we find the elegance of a nonagenarian dressed in silk—impeccable and without a single wrinkle. A wine that has reached near-definitive roundness, even if it can no longer show much bite. Mature, settled, and placid, with an elegant touch of high-quality sweetness joined by the Riojan DNA of creaminess and vanilla.

 

Commentary

The 1922 Gran Reserva is a unique opportunity to taste Paternina from its golden age and from a legendary vintage long considered the finest in Rioja. This was the first wine crafted by the master Etienne Labatut, who laid the foundations of the Paternina empire for the following 40 years. Vinified before the creation of the Appellation and not "refreshed" during bottling, it stands as a monumental testimony to the greatness of Rioja at its absolute peak.

 

Personal Score: 100
Tasting Group Average: 100