1994 Faustino I Gran Reserva
For me this was a nice example of classic Rioja.Very dark cherry red still despite being already 20 years old. Also still giving off lots of fruitiness (strawberry jam) and boasting lots of vanilla with a dash of green and black pepper. The wine really coats the glass, very nice concentration. From the very first sip this clearly is a savory, full bodied wine with everything well in place, from supple acidity tokeep it fresh to soft, gentle tannins.Very nice indeed with vanilla and spiciness coming to the forefront and a nice but perhaps not very long, oaky finish.
Maybe not the best Rioja I ever had, but at this price range much better than I would have thought and so a real bargain.
