Region: Rioja, Spain

Varietal: 95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano, 2% Garnacha

Tasting Notes: Limpid ruby-red. Highly perfumed cherry, red currant, smoked meat, coconut and candied rose scents, along with tobacco and succulent herb nuances that build as the wine opens up. Juicy and seamless in texture, offering energetic cherry-vanilla, floral pastille, cola and mocha flavors that are sharpened by a jolt of spiciness. Shows sharp clarity and sweet, repeating red fruit character on the impressively long, gently tannic and smoke-tinged finish, which leaves a suave floral note behind.

Producer: Founded in 1992 by Pedro Peciña, a former vineyard manager at the esteemed La Rioja Alta, Bodegas Hermanos Peciña has quickly earned a reputation for producing classically styled, age-worthy Rioja. Situated in the heart of San Vicente de la Sonsierra—a village long considered one of Rioja's top terroirs—the bodega has become a benchmark for traditional winemaking. What sets Peciña apart is its deep commitment to heritage methods, including long aging in American oak and extensive time in bottle before release. The Gran Reserva is only produced in exceptional vintages, offering a window into the legacy and longevity that define old-school Rioja.

Vineyard & Winemaking: The estate cultivates nearly 50 hectares of vines, many over 40 years old, farmed without irrigation and harvested by hand. For the Gran Reserva, the grapes—primarily Tempranillo, with small portions of Graciano and Garnacha—are vinified using indigenous yeasts and aged in used American oak barrels for a minimum of 36 months. Afterward, the wine rests in bottle for several years to harmonize its elements and develop the tertiary notes that Rioja lovers crave. The result is a wine that is both elegant and deeply expressive, capturing the nuance of vintage and site through traditional craftsmanship.