2005 Bodegas Escudero Arvum Rioja 750 ml

Two decades ago, the sun was beating down on the Spanish region of Rioja. The typically parched vineyards had seen well-spaced rains in the early days of the season, and as the temperatures started to climb, June thunderstorms refreshed the vines. July, though hot and dry, saw plants that were hale and thriving. 

From there, the vines cruised. Growers started picking in late September, enjoying a leisurely month-long harvest under flawless conditions. In late October, when the last grapes came in, so did the verdict: It was one of the finest Rioja harvests in memory. 

Bodegas Escudero dates back more than a century, to when Juan Escudero first started making wine in a small mountainside cave. The winery gained momentum when Juan’s grandson Benito, inspired by his father and grandfather, dove into the family business.

The spirit of Benito is alive in the current Bodegas Escudero wines, which are sourced from the family’s holdings in La Rioja and Navarra—vineyards whose vines average 70 years of age. Most are planted in poor, stony soils on the southern slopes of Monte Yerga, where the extreme climate and diurnal temperature swing create grapes of beautiful ripeness and verve.

Arvum is a blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo, Graciano, and Mazeulo. Grown on the renowned Cuesta la Reina Vineyard, it was hand-harvested and selected in the vineyard. The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks on indigenous yeasts before spending 16 months in aged French oak.

This has been resting in the winery cellars since the all-time great 2005 vintage, and you gotta taste it to believe.

*We recommend using an Ah-So wine opener to enjoy this bottling, as aged corks are delicate and may crumble or break easily.