The 2006 Gran Reserva is produced from 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and 5% skins and pulp of white grapes (Viura and Malvasia) from vineyards averaging 60 years of age. The grapes are hand-harvested into 12-kilo boxes, which are cooled for 24 hours in cold chambers to 4-6o C before being put through a sorting table where only the top half of the bunches make it through. The destemmed grapes are then fermented in French oak vats and the wine transferred to new oak barrels (80% French and 20% American) for malolactic and aging for 37 months. The wine feels very serious and terroir-driven with earthy and balsamic notes, ripe black fruit and even some hints of red fruit (hooray!), a little austere, with freshness and elegance. It’s only starting to develop some bouquet aromas of hung game, incense and leather. The medium-bodied palate reveals a very tasty and supple wine, very precise and balanced, with great freshness, especially for a warm vintage. The tannins are there, but they are very fine-grained and well-integrated with the fruit. A great Gran Reserva in the making. Only 3,000 bottles were produced. It could be drunk now, but should gain in complexity with time in bottle and age slowly for a long time. Drink 2014-2026. Fernando Remirez de Ganuza, who never stops inventing things (a sorting table that washes the grapes, four wheels to rotate one barrel and stir the lees), only had three new wines to show this year. But I also had a mini-vertical of the as yet unreleased white Reserva (but two vintages have already been reviewed here!) which has a much more classical profile than any of his other wines. I’m looking forward to the wines coming onto the market and following their evolution, as I think the 2010 is great and should develop beautifully. The first vintage to be released will be 2008, but only 1,800 bottles exist. I had an interesting conversation with Ganuza and he reminded me of one thing I always say about Burgundy: the most important thing is the producer. When I say that, most people look at me and say: “How can you say that? Burgundy is the essence of terroir, the place on earth where the concept has been most studied, best understood and defined!” It is indeed, and I completely agree, but the vineyard, the Grand Cru has the potential to produce world class wines, but it’s up to the producer to realize that potential – or kill it! That’s why, yes, the vineyards, the terroir are extremely important, but human intervention is key. This is all because one of Fernando’s points was that people say “Wine is produced in the vineyard,” and that’s not really true. The vineyard gives you the raw material, the potential, but someone at the winery has to realize that potential and there, every small detail counts and makes a difference. Anyway, going back to Remirez de Ganuza, the two reds that I tasted were superb. Imported by Fine States from Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (781) 461-5767