The Miguel Merino Gran Reserva is sourced from some of their very best sites, old vineyards that were planted in the 1950s and 1960s in some of the highest hills surrounding the village of Briones, with steeper slopes of limestone rich clay soils. The wine is principally Tempranillo, but there is a small amount of Graciano. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel with native yeasts, Malolactic occurs in barrel. After fermentation, the wine is aged for two years in new French oak, then moved into used barrels for an additional year. It is aged for an additional two years in bottle before release. Miguel Merino liked to call the style of this wine an “updated classic.” This has the classic power and intensity that the style calls for, but it is updated with a fresher, more youthful fruit component as well, and a different range of spice flavors that come from the avoidance of American oak. This has the elegance that we expect from the bodega, backed with intensity and complexity that make this a special occasion wine. Drink tonight, with some decanting, or put it in the cellar and enjoy over the next 10-15+ years.