Carlos Serres 5 Barricas Gran Reserva 2016, 2017 and 2018
A vertical tasting of a fabulous classic from Rioja
A Rioja from a historic winery based in Haro and a Gran Reserva… does that sound to you like a wine for special occasions? Though you wouldn’t think so from its price. It’s a privilege to have had the century-old winery Carlos Serres make wines for us under the ‘5 Barricas’ label originally designed for its VIP customers for wines created from the contents of its best barrels (specifically 5 barrels, as its name indicates).
In 2020 the winery brought back this range for Vinoselección and since then each new release has been a great success. Now we're offering you its Gran Reserva, a red wine that perfectly reflects the exceptional quality of the wines produced by this firm (part of Vivanco since 2000). And as if that weren't enough, we’re fortunate to be able to offer you three different vintages. While 2016 was a textbook year characterised by its tremendous balance, 2017 was notable for producing more structured wines, and 2018, with its Atlantic profile, yielded fresher wines.
Enjoy and compare three vintages of this superb Rioja that you'll only find here. It comes from the coveted El Estanque estate in Haro and is a traditional blend of Tempranillo (mostly), Mazuelo and Graciano. Twenty-four months in barrels followed by a period in the bottle have matured this top Rioja to perfection. A classic with a new twist that links the past, present and future of Rioja particularly well.
- 2 bottles of Carlos Serres 5 Barricas Gran Reserva 2016.
- 2 bottles of Carlos Serres 5 Barricas Gran Reserva 2017.
- 2 bottles of Carlos Serres 5 Barricas Gran Reserva 2018.
Bodegas Carlos Serres. D.O.Ca. Rioja.
General features
The winery
The historic winery Carlos Serres is named after its founder, a renowned wine consultant born in Orleans, who was a pioneer in settling in Rioja after the arrival of phylloxera in France. Amazed by the winemaking conditions offered by Rioja, Carlos Serres founded his own winery in the Barrio de la Estación of Haro in 1896. From there, he became a precursor of wine aging following the Bordeaux model. He also stood out as a pioneer in the export of Rioja wine. In the year 2000, the Vivanco family acquired 100% of Bodegas Carlos Serres, leading to a significant renewal of the winery's wines and the construction of new facilities in the municipality of Haro, but outside the Barrio de la Estación.
The wines of Carlos Serres are made with grapes from the El Estanque estate, which spans 60 hectares and is located in Haro (La Rioja), as is the winery itself. The soils of the estate, clay-limestone with the presence of gravel, are ideal for cultivating traditional grape varieties. The winery is committed to using concrete tanks for winemaking, aiming to maximize the fruity expression of each variety (the porosity of concrete allows for micro-oxygenation).
In July 2020, Bodegas Carlos Serres achieved the Wineries for Climate Protection certification. This seal recognizes the commitment to sustainability and environmental care, currently held by only 27 wineries in Spain.