Bodegas Faustino

Gran Reserva Faustino I 75th Anniversary Rioja Tempranillo Blend

8.822 ratings
8.92 pro ratings
La Rioja, Spain
Tempranillo Blend
Duck, Pasta, Beans & Peas, Goose, Chili & Hot Spicy, Exotic Spices, Game, Baking Spices, Herbs, Mushrooms, Hard Cheese, Turkey, Pork, Salami & Prosciutto, Tomato-Based, Venison, Pungent Cheese, Soft Cheese, Onion, Chicken, Veal, Paella
Top Notes For
Peter van den Besselaar

Vintage 2016 | cassis laurel elegance

Vintage 2016 | cassis laurel elegance

Oct 12th, 2022
Rodrigo Maldonado

Rodrigo had this 12 years ago

Rodrigo had this 12 years ago

2 people found it helpfulJul 19th, 2014
Willem Booij

This wine takes me back to 1980. I had to check my very first wine journal, back when I was still a true wine novice.

What I wrote then was simple but telling: “wonderful, full, and ripe.” No elaborate analysis, just sheer admiration as my third wine ever.

Now, decades later, I taste it again. With experience, reference points, and countless glasses behind me. And yet, the remarkable thing is: my tasting note today aligns perfectly with what I wrote back then.

The wine remains classic, harmonious, and carefully crafted. Ripe fruit, integrated oak, soft tannins, and a long, elegant finish, exactly what you hope for in a Gran Reserva.

This time, I was particularly surprised at how astonishingly well it paired with smoked salmon and a touch of soy sauce.

Something I could never have imagined in 1980. Yet it worked beautifully: the wine’s umami embraced the salmon, and the soy’s saltiness found balance in the wine’s ripeness and softness.

A wine that has not only stood the test of time, but has also grown alongside my palate. Then impressive for its power and ripeness, now for its precision, balance, and classic craftsmanship.

Some first impressions, it seems, are simply right from the start. And in this price range it’s just a very good wine.

This wine takes me back to 1980. I had to check my very first wine journal, back when I was still a true wine novice.

What I wrote then was simple but telling: “wonderful, full, and ripe.” No elaborate analysis, just sheer admiration as my third wine ever.

Now, decades later, I taste it again. With experience, reference points, and countless glasses behind me. And yet, the remarkable thing is: my tasting note today aligns perfectly with what I wrote back then.

The wine remains classic, harmonious, and carefully crafted. Ripe fruit, integrated oak, soft tannins, and a long, elegant finish, exactly what you hope for in a Gran Reserva.

This time, I was particularly surprised at how astonishingly well it paired with smoked salmon and a touch of soy sauce.

Something I could never have imagined in 1980. Yet it worked beautifully: the wine’s umami embraced the salmon, and the soy’s saltiness found balance in the wine’s ripeness and softness.

A wine that has not only stood the test of time, but has also grown alongside my palate. Then impressive for its power and ripeness, now for its precision, balance, and classic craftsmanship.

Some first impressions, it seems, are simply right from the start. And in this price range it’s just a very good wine.

Jan 3rd, 2026
Byron Hewett

Very tasty. Noticeable American oak influence as you would expect.

Very tasty. Noticeable American oak influence as you would expect.

Dec 26th, 2022
Martijn

Old school Rioja with vanilla and oak.
Good drinking though but not over exciting.

Old school Rioja with vanilla and oak.
Good drinking though but not over exciting.

May 25th, 2021
Vladimir Miroshnikov

Кожа, хьюмидор, ваниль, тонко, ооочень аристократично. Вкус полный, танины бархатные. Хорошо. Готово полностью, и еще полежит года три точно.

Кожа, хьюмидор, ваниль, тонко, ооочень аристократично. Вкус полный, танины бархатные. Хорошо. Готово полностью, и еще полежит года три точно.

Apr 10th, 2020
Kaa Kaa

Good

Good

Mar 30th, 2020
Konstantin Eroshenkov

Konstantin had this 3 years ago

Konstantin had this 3 years ago

Oct 27th, 2023
Ashraf Attal

Ashraf had this a year ago

Ashraf had this a year ago

Jul 7th, 2025
Cesar Ramos

Cesar had this 2 years ago

Cesar had this 2 years ago

Jul 21st, 2024