Today we present one of the famed houses in La Rioja. R. Lopez de Heredia had its inception in the nineteenth century when French negociants visited the Rioja region to find alternative sources of quality grapes to transform into wine, as the phylloxera epidemic had decimated their vineyards. Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, started his winery in Haro, the capital of the Rioja Alta region. The winery is a stunning older building with one of the coolest wine caves that I have ever seen.
Years ago I had one of my most memorable winery visits to R. Lopez de Heredia. The winery even has its own in-house barrel maker as the attention to detail in the wines is unbelievable, R. Lopez de Heredia wines are aged considerably longer than most and they are only sold when the winemaker finds them to be drinking perfectly. Their current releases are more than a decade old.
The new releases from this house were stunning. Look for the 2012 R. Lopez de Heredia ‘Vina Cubillo’ Rioja (OB, 93) which is a stunning value and completely over-delivers for the price. Even better was the awesome value out of Rioja, taken from a challenging vintage. The new 2009 R. Lopez de Heredia ‘Vina Bosconia’ Rioja Reserva (OB, 94) which shows plenty of ripeness and a nice salinity from this warm vintage. Learn more about this acclaimed winery athttp://www.lopezdeheredia.com Here are the beautiful new wines by R. Lopez de Heredia.
2012 R. Lopez de Heredia ‘Vina Cubillo’ Rioja- Taken from this excellent, warm vintage in La Rioja, the 2012 ‘Vina Cubillo’ is a blend of Tempranillo (65%), with Garnacho (25%), and.smaller parts Mazuelo and Graciano from their estate vineyards. The wine quite literally explodes out of the glass, delivering powerful red currant and red cherry aromatics, alongside tobacco leaf, freshly tilled soils and lemon blossom tones that all meld in the glass. The palate is dense, plush and beautifully textured with a wonderful sense of balance. Orange rind flavors combine with a bright core cran-pomegranate, baking spices and leather tones on the palate. A sensational wine now at the nine year mark, this beautiful wine has another ten years to go in the cellar but is absolutely magical to consume now. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2009 R. Lopez de Heredia ‘Vina Bosconia’ Rioja- Bottled back in 2016, the outstanding 2019 R. Lopez de Heredia ‘Vina Bosconia’ Rioja is already wonderfully evolved now at the twelve year mark. A blend of Tempranillo (80%), Garnacho (15%), with the remainder Mazuelo yand Graciano, this shows a beautiful perfumed nose of potpourri with Christmas spices, red currants and smoky undertones. The palate is beautifully balanced and shows good concentration and verve — particularly considering the warmth of the vintage. Sour red fruits collide with minerals, scorched earth, black truffle shavings and bright acidity on the palate. The soft mouthfeel adds to the enjoyment as this downright killer effort has another decade or More to go in the cellar. Drink 2021-2033- 94