Viña Pomal 1964 Reserva Especial

Wine: Viña Pomal 1964 Reserva Especial
Winery: Bodegas Bilbaínas (Haro, Rioja Alta)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 70% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo, Graciano, and Viura
ABV: N/A

Winemaking:
The majority of the Tempranillo is sourced from the "El Pomal" vineyard in Leza (Rioja Alavesa), along with small lots from plots near Haro. The wine spent an initial 12 months in large, seasoned oak vats for malolactic fermentation and stabilization. It matured for 72 to 84 months in used 225-liter American oak barrels, with several manual rackings performed each year to avoid filtration. Traditionally fined with fresh egg whites. Aged for a minimum of five years in the winery’s underground cellars before its commercial release.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Ruby-red with medium depth; low extraction, exceptionally clear, and limpid, with no signs of sediment at the base. Brilliant, featuring reddish and orange iridescence. Broad, tawny rim, sharply defined against the meniscus.

 

Nose: Of an almost exaggerated elegance—expressive and delicate. It opens with a perfumed display of fine reductive notes (cedar, English tobacco, saddlery) that unhurriedly settle and gain intensity. It draws the taster into "shadier" territory: forest floor, chestnuts, fungal undertones, charcoal, and embers. Despite this misty character, it pushes forward to reveal nuances of reduced red fruit and a vegetal, almost medicinal, herbal touch. It maintains a firm, natural, and vibrant energy that provides immense personality.

 

Palate: Carved in silk. Fresh and caressing; smooth on the entry yet remarkably savory and substantial. The fruit possesses a slight sweetness, with traces of vanilla and aged wood, driven by a thread of acidity that elevates the entire ensemble to a tremendous level. It has it all: personality, balance, smoothness, and an eternal finish exuding high-quality bitters.

 

Commentary: 

One of those Pomal releases that dignifies this legendary brand and illustrates the excellence of Bodegas Bilbaínas in the mid-20th century. It even surpasses the 1962 Reserva Especial. A wine to remember for a very, very long time.

 

Personal Score: 95
Tasting Group Average: 95