# Gran Reserva (2018)

- **Producer:** Barón de Ley
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Tempranillo, Graciano
- **Region:** Rioja, Spain
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €22
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** strawberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, black pepper, vanilla, coconut, cedar, toast, cloves, leather, tobacco, forest floor, dried fig, prune

## About this wine

Barón de Ley is a distinguished estate located in the Rioja Oriental sub-region, founded in 1985. Uniquely for Rioja, the winery was built alongside a historic 16th-century Benedictine monastery where monks once made wine. Unlike many traditional Rioja houses that blend grapes from across the entire region, Barón de Ley was established with an estate-bottler philosophy, focusing heavily on its own vineyards to control quality from vine to bottle. The Gran Reserva represents the pinnacle of this classic style, showcasing the longevity and complexity that the region's terroir can achieve through patient aging.

## Interesting facts

- The winery is built adjacent to a beautifully restored 16th-century Benedictine monastery.
- Barón de Ley was founded with the specific inspiration of the Bordeaux château concept, focusing on estate-grown fruit.
- Gran Reserva wines must undergo a minimum of five years of aging between oak and bottle before they can legally be sold.

## Food pairing

The resolved tannins, vibrant acidity, and complex tertiary notes of coconut, leather, and dried fruit in this aged Rioja perfectly complement rich, savory meats and earthy dishes. The acidity cuts through fat, while the oak integration harmonizes with roasted or grilled flavors.

## Wine making process

The grapes are hand-harvested from select estate vineyards, destemmed, and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Following fermentation, the wine undergoes a rigorous aging regimen to meet the strict Gran Reserva requirements. It is aged for a minimum of 24 months in a combination of American and French oak casks, allowing the wood to integrate seamlessly with the fruit. This is followed by at least 36 months of further refinement in the bottle prior to release, ensuring the tannins are beautifully resolved and complex tertiary characteristics have developed.