2017 Bodegas Patrocinio Tempranillo Reserva Terroir de Zinio Rioja 750 ml

Tempranillo is far and away the most important grape in Spain—and the sub-zone of Rioja Alta has a strong claim to being its most profound home.

Bounded by the Ebro river and Cantabrian mountains to the north, Rioja Alta is the highest-altitude section of Rioja—the crown jewel of Spanish appellations. Here, Tempranillo is its most perfumed, vibrant, and ageworthy, as the cooler temperatures there allow for a long hang-time and profound complexity.

The Terroir de Zinio Reserva is one of the highlights of the outstanding 2017 vintage—awarded 93 points by Wine Enthusiast, it’s made under the direction of Master of Wine Norrel Robertson and shows off Zinio’s outstanding terroir.

The Reserva is drawn solely from the highest-altitude sections of their outstanding holdings: vineyards that start at over 1600 feet of elevation and climb even higher from there. These are old vines—bush-trained and planted over 70 years ago—that produce tiny berries and stunning wine.

The vineyard’s exceptional mix of alluvial and clay-dominant soils build in complexity, while the high altitude creates a resounding freshness in the wine, allowing Robertson to hold off picking while the grapes develop extra power and richness.

Once they’re picked, the grapes are treated to two separate sortings—once in the vineyard and once in the winery—before a cold-soak allows extra richness and fruit to develop. A maceration of over three weeks builds structure and ageworthiness, while 18 months in barrel softens tannins and renders the wine perfect for dinner today.

The resulting wine—full of red cherries, dark berries, and a hint of leather and vanilla—blew us away on our last trip to Spain. We had to bring it in for the club.