Hermanos Pecina Gran Reserva Rioja

Hermanos Peciña Gran Reserva Rioja is a benchmark traditional Rioja from a small, family-run estate in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, led by Pedro Peciña, the former longtime vineyard manager for La Rioja Alta. Eric Asimov of the New York Times has named Hermanos Peciña one of his favorite Rioja producers, and The Wine Advocate has called the estate "a new classic," so there's real critical pedigree to lean on.

The style is old-school and labor-intensive: the wines age well beyond the legal minimum, spend their time in used American oak, and get racked by hand twice a year using the traditional trasiego method rather than the pumped racking most large bodegas rely on. The fruit comes mostly from old Tempranillo vines, some 60 to 70 years old, farmed organically and harvested by hand. In the glass, expect a full-bodied, dry wine around 13.5% ABV, with ripe dark cherry, plum, tobacco, leather, and baking spice, and tannins that are silky and well-integrated from all that extended aging. It drinks beautifully now but has plenty of cellar life left if a customer wants to hold it.