Picture a six-hectare slope above the Ega River where gnarled bush vines have clung to life since 1940. This is El Barranco, “The Ravine,” home to what locals believe are the planet's oldest Graciano plantings. While other producers ripped out this finicky grape in favor of easier varieties, the Fernández de Manzanos family saw treasure.

The vineyard tells a story of survival. Sandy soils scattered with river stones force these 78-year-old vines to struggle, their roots diving deep for moisture and nutrients. The south-facing slope at 400 meters catches every ray of Spanish sun, slowly coaxing this notoriously late-ripening variety to perfect maturity. It's a living agricultural artifact that produces exceptional wine.

What makes this release even more remarkable is its scarcity. The Voché Selección Graciano isn't an annual bottling—it only happens when conditions align perfectly. The 2018 vintage offered that rare combination of warmth and balance that the persnickety Graciano demands. Harvested early in the morning to preserve freshness, each cluster was hand-sorted in the field by pickers who’ve tended these vines for decades. The result undergoes a fermentation partly in steel, partly in open-top oak barrels—before settling into French and Romanian oak for a full year of polishing.

Why You'll Love It

• History in a glass: These are the world's oldest Graciano plantings, offering flavors impossible to replicate with younger plants, or with Tempranillo. It’s a wine that shows the wisdom of a tradition nearly lost to time.
  

• Complexity that unfolds for hours: Initial notes of blackberry and dark plum give way to layers of cocoa, dates, Christmas spices, and espresso. The wine evolves continuously, revealing new facets with each swirl of the glass.
  

• Built for the long haul: Delicious now, this Reserva has the bones to develop magnificently over the next 15-20 years. The combination of old-vine concentration and Graciano’s natural acidity creates a wine that will reward patience.

How to Serve It

• Temperature: Serve at 58-62°F in Bordeaux stems.
  

• Decant 30 minutes to fully express its complexity.
  

• Classic pairings: Grilled lamb chops brushed with ras el hanout honey, or a charcuterie plate with aged Manchego, chorizo, and jamon Iberico.