Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Bodegas Faustino – Faustino V Reserva
Tempranillo-based Blend 2018
DOCa Rioja – Spain 🇪🇸

Overview
A standout vintage combining freshness, balance, and precision. The 2018 shows the most complete expression among the last two vintages (v16 & v17), harmonizing fruit, oak, and structure beautifully.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh red berries, cherry, subtle vanilla, cedar, and refined spice with a lifted aromatic profile.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity, polished tannins, and a beautifully balanced, lingering finish. More energetic and refined than prior vintages.

Food Pairings
Versatile, grilled meats, tapas, roasted vegetables, or even casual pairings.

Verdict
The most complete and balanced of the last two; Fresh, elegant, and structured this is the sweet spot vintage.

Did You Know?
2018 in Rioja is widely regarded as a balanced vintage, offering both freshness and aging potential, often outperforming expectations at this price tier. (I have also reviewed v16 & v17).

🍷 Personal Pick
The winner of the lineup, precision, freshness, and balance all in one. A textbook example of why Rioja Reserva remains one of the best value categories in the world. — 8 days ago

Steve Bowen

9.2

Paired with chicken thigh paella. Dry with a fast finish. Somewhat bold flavor that paired perfect with bold flavor paella. The fast finish was perfect with the lasting flavor of the food making the wine not compete with the meal. — 4 months ago

with Tracy

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.0

Bobal & Temp.? Hell yes. Pretty and light. Like a lot. — 2 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.2

12.5%. Eye catching blue glass bottle. The wine is actually pretty good almost tastes like a blend of a sauvignon blanc and a Riesling. Very powerful lemon notes, lemon curd, touch apple hint herbaceous. This is definitely a nice bottle - i wonder how this would age it as some stuffing. — 2 months ago

G Faul

9.2

2001 drunk Dec 2025 — 4 months ago

Benjamin Hickey

9.4

Super intense. Had with firm white fish and was great! — 7 months ago

David Walser

8.9

House wine at La Casita for 15€. Not a great wine but was ok with our canelloni dishes. I wouldn’t order again if there were other options. At La Casita restaurant in Manilva, Spain. — 2 years ago

Willem Booij

9.2

This wine takes me back to 1980. I had to check my very first wine journal, back when I was still a true wine novice.

What I wrote then was simple but telling: “wonderful, full, and ripe.” No elaborate analysis, just sheer admiration as my third wine ever.

Now, decades later, I taste it again. With experience, reference points, and countless glasses behind me. And yet, the remarkable thing is: my tasting note today aligns perfectly with what I wrote back then.

The wine remains classic, harmonious, and carefully crafted. Ripe fruit, integrated oak, soft tannins, and a long, elegant finish, exactly what you hope for in a Gran Reserva.

This time, I was particularly surprised at how astonishingly well it paired with smoked salmon and a touch of soy sauce.

Something I could never have imagined in 1980. Yet it worked beautifully: the wine’s umami embraced the salmon, and the soy’s saltiness found balance in the wine’s ripeness and softness.

A wine that has not only stood the test of time, but has also grown alongside my palate. Then impressive for its power and ripeness, now for its precision, balance, and classic craftsmanship.

Some first impressions, it seems, are simply right from the start. And in this price range it’s just a very good wine. — 3 months ago

Benjamin Hickey

9.5

3 years under flor then 9 years oxidative. Salty, long. A little funky — 7 months ago

Benjamin Hickey

9.2

Just super well balanced. Lots of flavour and complexity for how easy drinking it is — 7 months ago