Solar de Samaniego 1968 Gran Reserva

Wine: Solar de Samaniego 1968 Gran Reserva
Winery: Bodegas Alavesas (Laguardia, Álava)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 100% Tempranillo
ABV: 12.5%

Winemaking:
One-fourth of the grapes come from the winery's own vineyards around Laguardia, while the rest are purchased from a hundred small growers in the Rioja Alavesa region. Part of the grapes are destemmed and deseeded, followed by a partial carbonic maceration for 12 to 15 days. The wine remains for a maximum of 36 months in large wooden vats for malolactic fermentation and stabilization. After several rackings from vat to vat, it is transferred to used 225-liter American oak barrels (averaging 12 years old) for aging. It matures for 24 months with 3 to 4 manual rackings. Unfined and very lightly filtered before bottling. Aged for a minimum of 48 months in the bottle before its release during the second half of 1978.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Attractive reddish-ruby color with medium-low depth; very clear, limpid, and translucent. Brilliant and radiant, showing amber and coppery glints. Minimal orange rim, barely distinguished from the meniscus.

 

Nose: Aromas of a settled, polished, and frank wine, full of fine reductive notes that provide an extremely traditional and recognizable Rioja bouquet. Abundant notes of candied red fruit and dried apricots give way to cured leather, vegetable fibers (esparto, ropes, harnesses), laurel, humus, and a medley of spices, completed by a lingering vanilla background that envelops the whole. Pleasant, broad, and appealing.

 

Palate: More complex and concentrated than the Reserves bottled by the winery during the same era. A broad, lively, and fresh red, while simultaneously round, integrated, and fully polished. No sharp edges are perceived. Ready to drink now, at its peak.

 

Commentary:
An excellent companion for stewed lentils with partridge, which suits it perfectly. A great example of the Alavesa style of the late 60s, showing a surprising balance between its carbonic maceration origins and long traditional aging.

 

Personal Score: 91
Tasting Group Average: 90