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In 1861 Eleuterio Martinez Arzok set out on a journey, selling his Rioja wines direct from the barrel, working from the back of a horse-drawn cart. Thus began Bodegas Faustino, today Spain’s largest producer of Reserva and Gran Reserva Rioja wines. In the late 1950s, Eleuterio’s equally adventurous descendant, Faustino Martinez, launched the Faustino label. Source of over 25% of all Reserva and Gran Reserva Riojas sold abroad, Faustino is a proud custodian of the Rioja’s international reputation for world-class wines. A phenomenal nine million bottles of Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are stored in Faustino’s magnificent cellars.

With 1,625 acres of vineyards, Faustino’s Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are all estate grown and bottled. The vineyards are located in the upper portion of the Rioja Alavesa, at an altitude of 1,200-1,800 feet. Here, the climate is relatively cool thanks to the maritime influence of the Atlantic Ocean to the north, and the vines thrive in the area’s chalky soil.

Production Area
From three separate Faustino vineyards, Los Trinos, Valdeparaiso and Los Canos de Arriba. Total harvest: 66,847 kilos; average yield, 1.08 kilos per vine

Grape Varieties
86% Tempranillo & 14% Graciano

Vinification
Grapes are handpicked. 11-day fermentation ensued, followed by maceration on the skins lasting 28 days. Wine was pumped over twice a day with aeration for the first three days, followed by no aeration over following two weeks. A light daily pumping over was applied after and the wine left to rest on its less for three months. It is then aged for two years in new, medium toast French oak barrels (225 liter capacity). Bottled October 11, 1996. Released five years later

Color
Intense, bright cherry red

Bouquet
Complex aroma, hints of new oak, vanilla and ripe red berries

Taste
Rich, creamy with well-integrated tannins and long-lasting aftertaste.

Alcohol
13%