Faustino
Faustino is one of the best-known names from Rioja. The family business is based in Oyón, in Rioja Alavesa, and is best known for Faustino I Gran Reserva, with a painted portrait on the label. The winery also makes a young red Faustino VII, a reserva Faustino V, white wine, rosé and cava.
Faustino and the regions behind it
Faustino revolves around tempranillo from Rioja, with verdejo and cava as additions. We have a dedicated page on each of these topics.
Tempranillo
Spain’s most important red grape, and the backbone of every red Faustino.
About tempranillo →
Verdejo
The fresh white grape from Rueda, with tropical fruit and a spicy, slightly bitter edge.
About verdejo →
A family in Rioja Alavesa with a cellar full of old vintages
Bodegas Faustino was founded in 1861 in Oyón, a village in Rioja Alavesa, the part of Rioja north of the Ebro River. It is still a family business run by the Martínez family, and the wine is named after one of the earlier generations, Faustino Martínez. The winery grew through aged red Rioja. The Faustino I Gran Reserva, in the matte bottle with a portrait of a seventeenth-century Dutch master on the label, is Rioja’s calling card in many countries.
The numbers on the label say something about the ageing. Faustino VII is the young wine for everyday drinking. Faustino V is the reserva, and Faustino I is the gran reserva, which has aged the longest in barrels and bottles. Faustino keeps many bottles in its own cellars, so the wine is ready to drink when it reaches the shops. From the best old vintages, the winery occasionally rereleases bottles as Mythical Vintage. Alongside red Rioja, Faustino makes white wine from viura, rosé from tempranillo, verdejo from Rueda and cava.
In brief
Eleven bottles, from Faustino VII to Faustino I
First white, rosé and cava, then the red Rioja from young to old: VII, crianza, V and I. The lower the number, the longer the wine has aged. At the bottom, an old vintage from the Mythical Vintage range.
Faustino VII Blanco
Floral white Rioja without oak, made from viura. Yellow apple, lime and pineapple.
Faustino Verdejo Vendimia Nocturna
Verdejo from Rueda, harvested at night so the grapes stay cool. Tropical fruit, apricot and a hint of spice.
Faustino I Gran Reserva Blanco
Viura with some chardonnay, rich yet fresh. Apricot and a hint of pineapple.
Faustino VII Rosado
One hundred percent tempranillo. Fruity, with strawberry, cherries and red berries.
Faustino Cava Brut
Dry cava made from macabeo and chardonnay, with a second fermentation in the bottle.
Faustino Cava Semi Dry
Despite the name, Faustino's sweetest cava. Delicious with something sweet.
Faustino VII Tinto
A young Rioja with only a short period of aging in oak, so the fruit takes center stage. Delicious slightly chilled.
Faustino Crianza
One hundred percent tempranillo, aged for fourteen months in American oak. Red fruit and vanilla.
Faustino V Reserva
The house's reserva, aged for eighteen months in American oak. Round, with ripe fruit and spices.
Faustino I Gran Reserva
Tempranillo with graciano and mazuelo, aged for a long time in oak and then for years in the bottle at the bodega. Vanilla, tobacco, blueberries and spices.
Faustino Gran Reserva 1995
A gran reserva from 1995, aged extra long in Faustino's cellars. Vanilla, tobacco and cedarwood.
So what exactly is the difference between joven, crianza, reserva and gran reserva? You can read all about it on our Rioja page.
Soft, ripe and full of vanilla
Vanilla & ripe fruit
Red Faustino smells of cherries, plums and blueberries, with plenty of vanilla and coconut from the American oak. The gran reserva also develops notes of tobacco, leather and cigar box.
Soft and round
Long aging makes the tannins soft and the wine rounded. Faustino VII is younger and fruitier, while Faustino I is velvety smooth and layered.
Spicy and long
The aged wines have a long, spicy finish. The Mythical Vintages are even softer, with dried fruit, mushrooms and mocha.
Flavor profile of Faustino I Gran Reserva. Faustino VII scores higher on fruit and lower on power, while the white and rosé score higher on freshness.
How to serve Faustino
Young red Rioja chilled, gran reserva just below room temperature, and white, rosé and cava chilled.
Red at 15 to 18 degrees
Serve Faustino VII Tinto slightly chilled, around 15 degrees. Serve the crianza and Faustino V at 16 to 17 degrees, and Faustino I at 17 to 18 degrees. Serving wine too warm makes it feel heavy.
More about wine temperature →Carefully decant older vintages
A gran reserva or a Mythical Vintage may contain sediment. Stand the bottle upright for a day and carefully pour the wine into a decanter, keeping the sediment in the bottle. Older wine only needs to breathe briefly.
Decanters →White, rosé and cava chilled
Serve Faustino VII Blanco, the verdejo and the rosado at 8 to 10 degrees. The aged Faustino I Blanco can be served slightly warmer, around 11 degrees. Serve cava well chilled, at 6 to 8 degrees.
More about wine temperature →Faustino at the table
Faustino is made for Spanish cuisine: tapas, lamb, ham and stews. With the rosé and cava, you also have something to serve with drinks.
Tapas and fish
Crisp white wine pairs well with fried squid rings, prawns, fish and chicken paella.
Drinks and sushi
The rosé and brut cava pair well with aperitifs, salads, sushi and a cheese and charcuterie board. The Semi Dry pairs well with fruit tart.
Tapas and beef
The younger red wines pair well with chorizo, albondigas, paella and a piece of grilled beef.
Lamb and ham
The reserva and gran reserva pair well with leg of lamb, côte de boeuf, jamón ibérico, stew and aged Manchego.
The right glass for Faustino
Pour Faustino VII and the crianza into a generous red wine glass and Faustino I into a tall, large bowl. Drink the white wine and rosé from a smaller glass, and the cava from a flute.
Everything you still wanted to know about Faustino
Can't find your question here? Read more about wine and food, or get in touch.
Wine and food pairing →What is Faustino?
What do the numbers I, V and VII mean at Faustino?
What is a Mythical Vintage from Faustino?
How much alcohol is in Faustino?
Which glass do you use for Faustino I?
What do you eat with Faustino?
Buy Faustino
Want the bottle at home right away? Order Faustino online from Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 28 in stock.
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