In the past, I tasted impressive Gran Reservas from the 1980s, but the Gran Reserva that is due for release this year is the 2001 Gran Reserva, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo selected from the less-concentrated lots, as the more fashionable wines at the time were more concentrated. It matured in 225-liter oak barrels for 14 months, and after that, the wine was kept in concrete. Yes, the wine was kept unbottled for a long time, and it has evolved very slowly. The wine has a very Bordeaux profile and all this time has helped integrate the oak with herbal, spicy and balsamic aromas, with a smoky background, hints of earth, some toasted aromas, a touch of leather, developed but fresh, with grainy, dusty tannins. Quite impressive, balanced and harmonious and able to keep for a few more years. They filled 6,000 bottles in August 2019, and they could potentially produce more, as they still have more wine from that year... The idea is to bottle a 2008 Reserva next.
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Bodegas Vina Magana Tinto Gran Reserva 2001 750ml
Rated 92 by Wine Advocate
In the past, I tasted impressive Gran Reservas from the 1980s, but the Gran Reserva that is due for release this year is the 2001 Gran Reserva, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo selected from the less-concentrated lots, as the more fashionable wines at the time were more concentrated. It matured in 225-liter oak barrels for 14 months, and after that, the wine was kept in concrete. Yes, the wine was kept unbottled for a long time, and it has evolved very slowly. The wine has a very Bordeaux profile and all this time has helped integrate the oak with herbal, spicy and balsamic aromas, with a smoky background, hints of earth, some toasted aromas, a touch of leather, developed but fresh, with grainy, dusty tannins. Quite impressive, balanced and harmonious and able to keep for a few more years. They filled 6,000 bottles in August 2019, and they could potentially produce more, as they still have more wine from that year... The idea is to bottle a 2008 Reserva next.
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•60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, remainder in Syrah, Malbec, and Tempranillo.
•Native-yeast fermentation in tank with longer maceration.
•Raised for 18 months in a combination of used French and American oak barriques before back to large concrete tanks for holding until bottling.