It’s always a pleasure to taste old wines. Although it is much more widely available than other Rioja Gran Reserva wines, this tasting of Faustino I was proof of how beautifully and gracefully Rioja wines can age.
The brand was created in 1955 as Gran Faustino by Faustino Martínez Pérez de Albéniz, a second-generation member of the family. It was he who purchased a large number of French oak barrels to age the wines, took the plunge into bottling and coated the bottles in concrete to protect them from light and improve the wine's performance in the long term.
His son, Julio Martínez, developed the contemporary Faustino I (the first vintage, 1958, was released in 1964), with its trademark label of a knight painted by Rembrandt. Despite its many variations, including the free-spirited versions of the Art Collection series, the character has become a globally recognised wine icon. It is interesting to note the small changes made to older labels, and the willingness of the house to be true to the original painting, as when, a few years ago, it was updated after being restored.
With 11 million bottles produced and 650 hectares of vineyards, Bodegas Faustino is a major player in Rioja and the parent company of a wine group recently renamed Familia Martínez Zabala, with two other wineries in Rioja (Campillo and Marqués de Vitoria) and additional projects in Ribera del Duero (Portia), Navarra (Bodegas Valcarlos) and Castilla-La Mancha (Bodegas Leganza).
The winery dates back to 1861, when Eleuterio Martínez Arzok acquired vineyards and a manor house in Oyón (Rioja Alavesa). Nowadays it produces almost all the styles of wine recognised by the DOCa, as well as sparkling wines under the DO Cava. With a 35% market share and sales in 140 countries, Faustino I is the leading Rioja Gran Reserva in export markets. It produces around 800,000 bottles a year, provided the grapes meet its quality standards. It wasn't released in the 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2013 vintages.
"In order to make this Gran Reserva, we need an incredible amount of good wine, because a lot of batches fall by the wayside," explains José María Moreda, winemaker and head of research and development. Nor are they abandoning any opportunities to reach this goal. Grapes can come from their own vineyards in Oyón and Laguardia (as shown in the photos below), but also from regular suppliers. Wine purchased from third parties can even be added during the process.
Although ageing times in barrels are not particularly long (currently the 24 months required by the Rioja Regulatory Board), wines may spend considerable amounts of time in tanks, either while waiting for the right barrels to suit the profile of a particular batch, or, more importantly, after ageing. All the varieties in the blend are aged separately to ensure that they can be part of a wine that is intended to develop over decades. After each blend, a period of resting in tanks is required. Ultimately, the final blend for each new vintage of Faustino comes from a series of 50,000-litre tanks.
The tasting, which included vintages 1964, 1970, 1994, 2001, 2004 and 2011, was an opportunity to see the main changes that have taken place over the years. The two oldest vintages, 1964 and 1970, were made from goblet-trained vineyards in Oyón, the family's area of activity at the time. The blend included white varieties as well as Tempranillo (up to 85%), Graciano and Mazuelo. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place in concrete tanks and the wines were aged in American oak barrels for 30 months. These two wines had the lowest alcohol content.
In 1994, the white grape varieties were abandoned, vineyards from Laguardia were added to the blend (the company had been actively buying and planting vineyards in this area since the 1980s, paving the way for the creation of Bodegas Campillo in 1990), epoxy-coated iron vats and stainless steel tanks were introduced, and the cask stock was also renewed with the incorporation of some French oak (it now accounts for around 20%).
In the 2000s, all fermentations were done in stainless steel tanks and the barrel stock was updated. This resulted in shorter ageing times. New Tempranillo plantings were also added at this stage. The alcohol content rose to 13.5% abv.
From 2009, the focus is on technology. Present winemaking methods involve the addition of large quantities of oxygen during fermentation in order to prevent subsequent reductions. "Thanks to this oxygenation, the sulphur compounds that cause reduction are bound to other elements, so they cannot react in this way," explains Juan José Díez, technical director of the Familia Martínez Zabala group. During rackings, which are carried out every six to eight months, inert gases (essentially nitrogen) play a key role in preventing oxidation.
In terms of grape varieties, greater attention is being paid to achieving optimum ripeness in Graciano and Mazuelo, which are seen as natural corrections to the low acidity of Tempranillo and have the low pH needed to guarantee the longevity of Gran Reservas. The red variery Maturana may also be used in the future. Experimental blends with Tempranillo are showing good ageing results.
According to José María Moreda, the most obvious effect of climate change, apart from the higher alcohol content, is the shortening of the growing season. "Until 1994 it was between 195 and 200 days, now the average is 170," he explains. "Nowadays, if you try to achieve the alcohol content of the old Gran Reservas, you will end up with unripe grapes," he adds.
Here are our impressions of the wines. The bottles were uncorked during a tasting of Familia Martínez Zabala's top wines, which I had the honour of presenting at the Gourmets trade fair in Madrid on the 17th. It also included other premium releases from Bodegas Campillo in Laguardia (Rioja) and Portia (Gumiel de Izán, Ribera del Duero). In preparation, a tasting was held in Rioja with the winemakers José María Moreda, who also hosted the presentation in Madrid, and Juan José Díez. Occasionally I refer to this first tasting. In general, the bottles showed great consistency.
The selection of vintages, all of which are genuinely from the winery, was done on the basis of greater availability and impeccable development to date.
Faustino I Gran Reserva 1964. Ruby colour with a shaded brick rim. Leather and sweet spicy (vanilla) aromas and a hint of olives. Silky and supple palate. Acidity plays a starring role here, carrying the flavours through to a long finish. Beautiful, classic style with a finish reminiscent of old furniture, but still in good shape. 12.5% abv.
A legendary vintage with fabulous ageing potential. Interestingly, the winery reports that 135m litres were classified by the DO, compared to an average of 100m in previous vintages. The growing season lasted 200 days, with 420mm of rain, most of which fell in July and August. After the April frost, June was a cold month. Sadly, such weather is now a thing of the past.
Faustino I Gran Reserva 1970. Ruby colour with a shaded brick rim. The bottle we opened at the winery was hazy and, at first, a little musty on the nose, in contrast to the ones we tasted in Madrid, which were fine from the start, with familiar spicy and tobacco aromas, and perhaps somewhat more tannic than the 1964. Another great example of classic old Rioja. 12.5% abv.
This year, the Regulatory Council qualified 113m litres and rated the harvest "Very Good". The growing season lasted 195 days. The winter was cold and wet, resulting in late budding, with no spring frosts recorded. The summer was warm and wet and the mild autumn weather was perfect to ensure good ripening.
Faustino I Gran Reserva 1994. Deeper colour than the previous two vintages. An expressive nose with leathery, spicy aromas over a background of dark chocolate and kirsch. Riper on the nose, but firm on the palate, leaving room for further ageing. 13% abv.
Rated excellent and with 177m litres qualified, the growing season lasted 195 days. The dry, hot summer brought the harvest forward by 10 days, but the rains in September slowed it down. The grapes were healthy, with a good balance of alcohol, acidity and colour. At the time, 1994 was compared to 1964 in terms of quality.
Faustino I Gran Reserva 2001. This was my favourite wine of the flight for its energy and youthful character. In fact, it felt younger than the 2004 and more vivid in terms of colour. Ruby garnet colour. Expressive and with plenty of everything: vibrant red and black fruit over a spicy background. The palate is broad, juicy and mouth-filling. It is remarkable to find a 21st century vintage with such ageing potential. Incidentally, this vintage was Decanter magazine's Best Wine of the Year in 2013. 13.5% abv.
The DOCa is growing: 240m litres were certified this year. A wet winter with irregular rainfall followed by a dry spring and summer with very high temperatures in May and June. The growing season was slightly precocious, with very healthy grapes and small berries, providing concentration. Yields were therefore lower, but the harvest was rated excellent. Analytical parameters were even more favourable than in 1994.
Gran Faustino I Gran Reserva 2004. The only wine to date to be named "Gran Faustino" and a nod to the wine bottled by Faustino Martínez in 1955. The brand will be reserved for very special vintages (this one also marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of the first Faustino I 1958 in 1964). The design has been updated, but Rembrandt's portrait of the gentleman is obviously there. Curiously, the name Faustino does not appear on the main label, but on the collar. 13.5% abv.
Ruby garnet colour. Ripe fruit with hints of brandied chocolate, pastry, nuts and an appealing sweetness. Opulent on the palate, yet elegant and silky, with more dark chocolate notes on the finish. This is probably the most powerful in the range, reflecting the trend of its time and perhaps some influence from the modern "alta expresión" Riojas that defined the period. 13.5% abv.
There was abundant rain and snow during the winter months. The growing season saw low temperatures in March and April, but no frost. The storms at the beginning of September were followed by perfect weather for the harvest. As ripening was irregular, Faustino decided to sort its grapes, but the fruit that entered the winery was perfectly healthy. The Regulatory Board rated the vintage "Excellent".
Faustino I Gran Reserva 2011. Currently on release. Ruby garnet colour. It's obvious that this wine has entered a new era. The weight of the fruit is greater and the profile more vibrant, a fact that cannot be attributed solely to its youth. Generous red fruit with a minty background. Balanced and silky on the palate, the wine delivers a burst of acidity that was absent in 2004, probably due to a more selective presence of the supporting grape varieties (the percentage of Graciano is slightly higher). The alcohol content remains at 13.5%.
This year the DOCa certified 266m litres. The growing season lasted around 170 days. 2011 comes after a dry year with moderate yields. The grapes were healthy and produced well-structured wines with good colour intensity. It was also rated "Excellent" by the Consejo.
THE EVILS OF LIGHT
Protecting wine from exposure to light is at the heart of the Faustino brand and one of its distinguishing hallmarks. In the early days, the bottles were brushed with cement, which made them look rather worn. Then came sandblasting, a technique that was quickly abandoned because it made the bottle more fragile and increased the risk of breakage. The system that has prevailed since then is an epoxy resin coating that not only ensures opacity but also increases resistance to breakage. Arguably, the one drawback for collectors is that it does not allow to monitor ullage. The winery uses special sensors to measure fill levels during the bottling process, and also weighs the cases to ensure that the contents and weight are accurate.
The obsession with preventing lightstrike has prompted Faustino to test whites and rosés extensively in order to avoid pinking, a term which refers to an increased intensity of colour. For José María Moreda, the problem is not only about colour changes, but also the fact that light acts as an "accelerator" for reduction or the evolution of sulphur and volatile compounds. According to Juan José Díez, technical director of the Martínez Zabala group, it is now possible to manage fermentations in such a way as to reduce this risk and to select varieties that are less prone to this type of problem.
