Glorioso Cosecha Especial 1961 Gran Reserva

Wine: Glorioso Cosecha Especial 1961 Gran Reserva
Winery: Bodegas Palacio (Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 60% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo and Viura
ABV: N/A

Winemaking:
A small portion of the grapes came from old estate vineyards surrounding the winery, with the remainder selected from small growers in Rioja Alavesa within a 15-kilometer radius of Laguardia. The wine spent one year in century-old founding-era oak vats to complete fermentation and stabilization. It matured for 36 to 41 months in seasoned American oak barrels of various capacities, with periodic manual barrel-to-barrel rackings performed each year. Finally, it underwent a minimum of three years of bottle aging in the winery’s original underground cellars before release. 

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Copper-ruby with medium depth; clear but featuring a significant amount of very fine sediment at the base. It shows muted brilliance and a slight turbidity with tiny suspended particles. Broad, orange rim, sharply defined against the meniscus. Note on service: The cork was minuscule, dry, and mummified, disintegrating upon contact; the bottle required port tongs for opening. 

 

Nose: Elusive upon opening, with very few discernible registers. There is a faint hint of seasoned wood and vanilla, but little else. Remarkably, there are no off-odors or signs of over-evolution. What slowly emerges is of an almost imperceptible lightness: ground laurel, tea leaves, cloves, and withered flowers.

 

Palate: It retains the nerve and acidity so characteristic of historic Palacio wines. Austere yet very much alive and fresh, featuring a core of spicy, reduced red fruit nestled against fine wood. The tannins are "invisible," completely burnished by time. A soft, polite, and reliable classic red.

 

Commentary:
A very dignified Glorioso from a minor vintage that produced few drinkable wines in Rioja. While it is clearly the lesser of the 1955–1970 series, it still holds its own with grace. It is a testament to the winery's consistency even in challenging years.

 

Personal Score: 87
Tasting Group Average: 88