López de Heredia - Viña Gravonia Crianza Blanco 2016

For 145 years, four generations of the López de Heredia family have devoted themselves to producing exceptional and unique wines. Masterpieces which have achieved that which the founder of the company, Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, defined in the late nineteenth century as the "Supreme Rioja".

Vineyard care, a scrupulous selection of grapes, ageing in oak barrels in the heart of deep underground galleries, and the later ageing in bottles, all contribute to making these illustrious wines with their exceptional bouquet.

For a long time, the López de Heredia wines received different names depending on the style of the winemaking process, but today, just as the founder had envisioned in his earliest quest for perfection, "Tondonia" is famous throughout the world.

Special mention ought to be made of the white wines. If there is one bodega experienced in producing old white wines, it has to be López de Heredia. To talk of white wines being exclusively young and uncomplicated, would be asking for trouble. López de Heredia has never been averse to aging white wines in oak for as long as reds, and the result is much more surprising than might be expected. When this type of wine has spent a long time in contact with oak, the oaky tastes and aromas are overly noticeable and even unbalanced.  Nevertheless, when left for a few more years in bottles, the rough edges of oak become sufficiently polished and balanced to create a seductive bouquet of spice, bitter almonds, vanilla and walnut, trademarks of the majestic and opulent Viña Tondonia whites.

Viña Gravonia is the house entry level white wine but its quite complex and will surprise many. Color is slightly developed pale gold. Nose is developed, with aromas of third generation. A very fine and remarkable wine.

"2016 was a superb vintage in Rioja, and the 2016 Viña Gravonia Blanco, which has the cellar aroma that all the wines, especially the whites, have, due to the longer time the wines spend in barrel. The white vines in this vineyard are now 92 years old and their juice was fermented in old oak vats with indigenous yeasts. They explained, "We have never used selected yeasts." It was matured in their well-seasoned American oak barrels for four years. It's paler than any of the other whites, and it has a little less pungency, with very good freshness. It's elegant, subtle, clean and ethereal. They had good yields and a good climatic year. 42,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022. I give these wines a conservative drinking window, but they will probably last much longer." - 95 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Producer: López de Heredia

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Varietal: Viura

Appellation: Rioja 

Vintage: 2016

Size: 750ml