R. Lopez de Heredia - Vina Gravonia Rioja Crianza Blanco 2016
Price: $48.45
| Producer | R. Lopez de Heredia |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Rioja |
| Varietal | White Blend |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Sku | 11337 |
A fascinating wine. Aromas of dried lemon peel, chamomile, and toasted hazelnut, joined by hints of beeswax and gentle oxidation. The palate is vibrant yet deep, offering flavors of quince, baked apple, citrus oil, and a touch of salinity. This has a long, rich finish. Certainly a great wine to enjoy now, but this will age beautifully over the next several years.
Wine Advocate: 95 Points
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.
