1970 Cosecha Especial Rioja Bordón - Bodegas Franco-Españolas

Dehydrated strawberry, dried jalapeño, bruised apple. Dried raspberry, old leather, green fig. Musty tobacco and dill, rod iron and deer pelt. Quite rustic and showing obvious signs of age but still remarkably punchy and vital. Like stepping into an old wooden house with floors that creek at every step and walls covered with old rifles and hunting trophies - then walking into the kitchen full of sundried red fruit and chiles with paella simmering gently on the stove. This 1970 Bodegas Franco-Españolas Cosecha Especial Rioja Bordón is an old caballero still tenacious and capable as ever.

Founded in 1890, Bodegas Franco-Españolas has been making wine in the Rioja region of Spain for almost 130 years. Its name literally translates as "French-Spanish Wineries" as it was created as a partnership between a firm from Bordeaux and local Spaniards. With an emphasis on quality and a near ideal vineyard site Francos-Españolas has been a power player in Rioja since its inception. This bottling, while technically classified as a Crianza, is a special selection wine based on the Tempranillo grape from the great 1970 vintage. At almost 50 years of age it is still kicking butt and taking names. With age its fruit profile has shifted towards dried & preserved while secondary & tertiary notes of leather, game, spices, and rust burst from the glass. It is an incredible experience to taste a wine this old that is still drinking this wonderfully.