Manzanos 1961

 In 1961, JFK became President of the United States. The Rolling Stones weren’t officially a band yet, and the space race was on. It’s also the year this Rioja began its epic journey from the vineyard to your glass.

Made with hand-harvested Tempranillo and Garnacha (mechanical harvesters didn’t even exist back then), the wine was aged in French oak barrels for three years before being tucked away deep inside the Manzanos family’s cellar for a 50+ year slumber. And because fifth-generation Victor and David Manzanos are close friends with our expert, Beth Willard, they gave her right of first refusal on the final bottles. (She took everything they had.)

“Rioja” doesn’t appear on the label—in 1961, winemakers weren’t required to add it. But there’s no mistaking that it’s pure, beautifully mature Rioja in the glass. Look forward to classic, leathery aromas of dark fruit, cigar box, and spice. The evolved palate is soft, yet well structured, offering up subtle fruitcake and balsamic notes with a long, smooth, complex finish.

It is extremely hard to find a wine of this age and provenance still drinking at its peak; rarer still at this price point—but these are the kind of masterfully aged values that Rioja does better than anyone else. The perfect gift for a loved one with a ’61 birthday, or any other special occasion.