Remirez de Ganuza Gran Reserva 2015

Remirez de Ganuza Gran Reserva 2015 originates from Spain, within the Ebro Valley region and the prestigious Rioja Alavesa subregion. The winery was established in 1989 by Fernando Remirez de Ganuza, who founded the estate on a meticulous approach to checking and purchasing premier vineyard plots around the Sierra Cantabria. The current winemaking philosophy combines cutting-edge ingenuity with a deep commitment to high-precision viticulture, focusing exclusively on hand-harvesting old, low-yielding vines to craft luxurious wines built for extensive aging.

Wine Description

This red wine presents a luminous cherry-red or deep ruby appearance with impressive depth in the glass and possesses a powerful, full-bodied structure with a luxurious, refined texture. The sensory profile is highly intense and multi-layered, opening with an aromatic nose of bing cherries, wild blackberries, and strawberry compote, beautifully accented by sweet spices, dairy notes, earthy incense, and cedarwood. On the plush and opulent palate, it delivers deep flavours of black fruits, plums, and liquorice, seamlessly balanced by a chalky minerality and bright, lively acidity. The finish is remarkably long, vibrant, and silky, leaving a persistent trail of savoury wood spices and mature primary fruits.

• Varietal Composition: A classic old-vine cuvée composed of 88% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, and 2% minor regional white grape varieties like Viura and Malvasia.

• Stylistic Notes: The wine is celebrated for its paradoxical balance between modern fruit richness and classical elegance, trading heavy textures for structured poise. The grapes are sourced from vines averaging over 60 years of age, and the wine undergoes a masterfully integrated 38-month maturation program in 100% new French oak barriques.

• ABV: Recorded between 14.5% and 15%.

• Organic Status: While the estate relies on meticulous, non-interventional grape manual sorting, this release is not certified organic.

Food Pairing

The firm tannic core, dense mid-palate, and bright acidity of this Gran Reserva make it a spectacular match for high-end, protein-driven gastronomy.

• Meats: Pairs beautifully with dry-aged beef steaks, slowly braised lamb shoulder, slow-cooked venison stews, or roasted meats seasoned with rosemary and garlic.

• Game: Suggested pairings include rich wild game dishes or traditional hearty casseroles featuring a geconcentreerde sauce.

• Cheese: Matches gracefully with structured artisanal platters of mature, hard cheeses such as an aged Manchego or sharp white Cheddar.

Vintage Quality

The 2015 vintage in Rioja is regarded as an exceptional and high-quality year, characterized by growing conditions that yielded a perfect balance of fruit maturity and structural freshness. The season offered ideal weather conditions that allowed the late-ripening varieties to accumulate immense extract and flavor concentration. The winemaker's skill in executing their famous separation of the grape bunches—using only the optimal 'shoulders' of the clusters—successfully maximized the fruit purity of the harvest, resulting in a legendary 2015 release with a cellaring trajectory built to evolve gracefully in the cellar for at least another 10 to 15 years.