1968 Conde de los Andes Centenary Edition (bottled in 1996) - Rioja Gran Reserva - 2 Bottles (0.75L)

Bought from the cellars of Federico Paternina Winery in 2009.
Stored in private cellar up to today.

100/100 Vinos Clasicos: "The palate is authentic balance and containment. It shows the purest, sober and subtle expression of Tempranillo that Rioja Alta can offer. Maximum fineness (spherical tannins), integrated, with a great natural elegance in a context of austerity and roundness that can only reach a very small group of wines in the world after 50 years of its harvest. It does not stop growing and profiling itself. The myth of Conde de los Andes is completely justified and in a historical harvest like that of 1968 it reaches its maximum level. This is the great Rioja!!!".

A limited edition of 8.250 bottles. This is a wine to cellar for years. A very rare edition not placed in the market and cellared in the original winery in Rioja until 1996. Bottle recorked and re-labelled to commemorate the centenary of Federico Paternina winery (1896-1996).

Conde de los Andes was the most expensive wine produced in Rioja: 14.000 pesetas in 1982 (about 84 euros), four times more than Tondonia 1970, double than 890 La Rioja Alta or Castillo Ygay, and only a little bit less than Vega Sicilia Único. The wine was so expensive for Spanish people that it was hardly ever on sale in Spain itself.

Vinified for 12 months in big wooden vats, from the founding time of the winery, without temperature control, and then poured to barrel. Aged for 84 months in cask, 7 years. Racked 14 times, once every 6 months, using the traditional cask-to-cask method.

*** All international parcels are shipped with the highest standards of quality: through the premium “UPS International Express”, the fastest service against signature provided by the courier. Packed in a special wine box officially certified by UPS / DHL. Bottles are packed individually, one by one, and wrapped in a 3 layers bubble wrap. Due to the nature of the wine and the value of the products all lots are shipped with insurance coverage. ***