2014 Bodegas Manzanos Azagra Voche Seleccion Graciano Rioja Reserva 750 ml

Bodegas Manzanos’ Voché Selección is a Rioja with a lot to say. The 95-point 2014 is a powerful, dark-fruited wine from one of the most stunning vineyards in the region—and a grape that’s rarely bottled on its own. It’s also one of the most impressive values in Rioja, bearing a polish, pedigree, and bottle-age that we seldom see at a fill-the-cellar price.

It’s 100% Graciano—a variety that makes up less than 2% of the area’s acreage (and an even smaller number of its bottlings)—from an ancient planting of the grape. That’s earned it an intense following among Spanish enophiles, who love Manzanos’ unique take on the country’s most prestigious region. 

Graciano combines dark, rich fruit with vivacious acidity. It’s long been used as a vital part of Rioja’s blends, but was long considered too rustic to bottle by itself. That’s until contemporary viticultural techniques succeeded in smoothing out the grape’s rough edges.

Manzanos goes the extra mile with the Voché to produce a superior expression of Graciano. The tiny grapes are hand-harvested during the dead of night to preserve acidity and fresh-fruit flavor. They go into small boxes that require extra labor but deliver the bunches to the winery in pristine condition. Careful extraction and fermentation ensure that the Manzanos team is able to deliver rich fruit without excessive tannins, then the wine is polished over 20 months in 50% new oak.

After giving the wine additional time to blossom in the bottle, Manzanos finally released some to us. It was worth the wait and the perseverance, and we know your dinner guests will thank you for sharing this cellar gem.