The Akutain Gran Reserva is comprised of mostly Tempranillo with Garnacha. It was fermented with native yeasts in steel vats, and raised in older American oak for 2 years and 9 months, with another 2 years in the bottle before release - far exceeding the Rioja D.O.'s aging requirements for Gran Reserva wines.
With almost 40 years of experience under their belt, Bodega Akutain produces classically-styled Rioja wines exclusively from their own 6.5ha of vineyards located near the town of Haro, in the subzone Rioja Alta, widely considered to be the most prestigious terruño for producing age-worthy Rioja wines. Founded by Juan José Peñagaricano Akutain, the bodega is now run by his son, Jon Peñagaricano. Artisan in all aspects of production, Akutain hand harvests, ferments with native yeasts with little extraction, and works with very little new oak. The resultant wines are throwbacks to Rioja's past 12.5 to 13% alcohol, beautifully aromatic, nuanced, and age-worthy.
