West London Wine School: López de Heredia Rioja 1994-2007
Wednesday 12 October 2016
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Bodegas Lopez de Heredia is an icon in Rioja and indeed Spain and is one of the wine world’s great wine treasures. This delightful tasting will unearth two decades of the estate from the 1990s to the 2000s of both white and red Rioja adding to the argument that Rioja, when made carefully and with epitome of quality in mind, can age as well as many of the great wines of the world.
Founded in 1877 by Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta who established the legendary Tondonia vineyards on the alluvial slopes overlooking the River Ebro on the cusp of the Alta and Alavesa wine sub-regions. A visionary and a romantic, his aspirations were impressive and included architectural plans that almost put one in mind of Gaudi's Sagrada Familia.
The Lopez de Heredia estate extends over 170ha and four autonomous vineyard areas, of which Tondonia is both the largest (70ha) and the most famous. The other three are Cubillo, Bosconia and Gravonia; each with distinctive terroir and aspect and differing styles of wine.The reds are dominated by Tempranillo, but there are also old-vine plantings of Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo. The whites come from both Viura and Malvasia, with more of the former planted, some of which is extremely old.
With draconian selection, care and attention the wines are indulged in a rigourous maturation schedule of mainly American oak from their 14,000 barrel cellar. A further stylistic key is the extensive pre-release bottle aging. Cash flow is certainly not king at Tondonia; the quest for perfection is paramount and the wine, unlike that from in some areas one could mention, is released only when ready. And the quality is such that the top wines maintain this plateau of perfection for years and years, often decades.
Wines on Tasting (9):
Whites:
Viña Gravonia Crianza 2006Viña Gravonia Crianza 2005Viña Tondonia Blanco Reserva 2001Viña Tondonia Blanco Reserva 2000Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva 1999Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva 1994
Reds:
Viña Cubillo Crianza 2007Viña Tondonia Tinto Reserva 2003Viña Tondonia Tinto Gran Reserva 1994