Lopez de Heredia, 2014 Viña Gravonia Crianza Blanco (Rioja, Spain)

I first tasted the gems of Lopez de Heredia at on of the annual “Top 100” tastings in San Francisco, featuring wines from the top 100 global producers in any given year. As I walked from table to table, the Heredia wines were among the standouts, and especially their white wine from the 1961 vintage, a marvel like no other I’ve tasted. Current price? Just this side of a grand - IF you can find any!

Yes, this wine ages well, but it is not a requirement! Taste it today and enjoy its unique aromas and satisfying palate. Rich and just this side of unctuous, this is the winery's current release for Gravonia blanco.

Grown by Spain’s top producer who is, frankly, a bit mystified by their sudden global stardom and stratospheric scores, as they’ve been producing these wines in the same way for generations. If you're not familiar with Heredia, I’m pleased to be the one who introduces them to you. You'll tank me later.

Gravonia is the name of the vineyard that produced this fruit. It's been in the Heredia family for generations now, and its white wines are quite rare among Rioja producers. Look for aromas that are waxy, floral and delicate you may find remind you of the top quality Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blends from Graves. The wine is a niche wine, but boy oh boy, those in that niche will travel to the ends of the earth to obtain some!

I recorded a video introducing the Heredia winery. Though it focuses on the red wine from the Tondonia vineyard, the background on the family is worth the 3-4 minutes required.

You'll vind it over on YouTube or by scanning the QR code on the back of every bottle links to it. To view it just copy/paste this link into a browser -

https://youtu.be/PNl2RWRNaa0