Lopez de Heredia Viñas Bosconia, Gravona, and Tondonia: 1954 - 1994

The wines of Spain's Rioja region -- known and respected around the world -- owe their prominence to three factors: terroir, an affinity for oak, and the included grape varieties.  Within the corpus of Rioja winemaking, there is an ongoing debate between "traditionalists" and "modernists" with the former favoring long aging in American oak barrels while the latter favor shorter aging periods in French oak.  

Lopez de Heredia falls squarely into the "traditionalist" camp.

The estate -- founded over 135 years ago by Don Rafael Lopéz de Heredia y Landeta, "a knowledgeable and enthusiastic student in the art of winemaking" -- has forged and maintained a reputation for high-quality wines through its focus on vineyard care, rigorous grape selection, and oak-barrel ageing. It is the only estate to have been awarded a Diploma of Guarantee by the Rioja DOC regulatory authority as recognition for never having used non-estate grapes in its wines.

Grapes for the estate's wines are grown in four separate vineyards, each of which is dedicated to a specific label. The particulars of the vineyards are presented in the table below.

Lopez de Heredia Vineyards

Grapes are hand-harvested by families of harvesters from Portugal and Spain and are taken to the winery in tractor-drawn trailers. At the winery they are placed in de-stemming machines before moving to fermentation containers. The red wines ferment on the skins while the white have no skin contact. Rosés macerate but are removed from skin contact prior to fermentation. The must is fermented in large oak vats: 60 hectoliters for whites and 240 hectoliters for the reds.  

Red wine fermentation at Lopez de Heredia is a two-step process. The first phase lasts for seven days and includes pumping-over. At the end of this phase the must is drained off the remaining solids. The second fermentation (5-6 months) takes place in Bordeaux-type oak barrels and has as its goal the removal of residual sugar.

After fermentation the wines are aged in 225-liter oak barrels. The wine is exposed to a slow oxygenation process, facilitated by the pores in the wood, and are racked once or twice a year during the ageing process.

The population of the Bodegas' wines are presented in the table below. The table indicates that Lopez de Heredia is a producer of some significance and that the production of Viña Tondonia dwarfs that of all the other labels combined.

Tasting the Wines of Lopez de Heredia

The following notes are curated from a series of Spanish-themed wine dinners in which I participated and have been reshuffled for temporal consistency. The tastings include: an Andrew MacNamara MS-led vintage Spanish wine tasting held at the Bull and Bear; a Bern's dinner with Parlo, Ron, and Bev; a Rioja wines blind tasting held at Luma; and an Aged Spanish Wine Tasting held at the home of WJ.

Andrew McNamara MS and Dhane Chesson

1994 Lopez de Heredia Gravonia Blanco and 1994 Tondonia Blanco. Melissa (Swirlery) indicated that the oxidative notes of the Gravonia felt more like a Jura wine, or even a Sherry, while the Tondonia had a richer, nuttier feel, like a black walnut.

1987 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Blanco. The Tondonia was bright and fresh and was less oxidative than I had expected. It was a refreshing way to cleanse the palate at the end of the evening.

1964 and 1973 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonio Blanco -- The 1964 was a beautiful wine. Notes of honey and burnt orange. Nutty with massive minerality. Palate cleansing and palate pleasing with a never-ending finish. The 1973 was disappointingly slow out of the gate. It was less lively, and appeared older, than the 1964. It was also lighter-bodied. With some residence in the glass it lifted its head off the floor but it was truly outclassed.

1964 and 1973 Tondonia Blancos

The 1991 Lopez Heredia Bosconia exhibited coffee, earth, and great integration between oak and fruit. Intense pepper spice, great acidity, and an expressiveness on the palate. This wine was drinking beautifully. Andres tagged it as his second wine of the night: "dried flowers, wet earth, forest floor, road tar, lovely aromatics, very Burgundian." 

Photo Credits: Anne Ryan

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Bosconia 1976 -- Cherries, earth, licorice, musty cellar, spice, and a savoriness on the nose. Smooth and elegant on the palate with some structure still in evidence. Sweet berries, good acidity, and long sweet finish.

Lopez de Heredia Bosconia 1954, 1961, and 1968 -- The Bosconia wines were all darker than any of the wines that had gone before. The 1954 showed waxy dark fruit, spice, nutmeg, leather truffles, and licorice. On the palate medium-bodied with sweet dark fruit. Lengthy finish. The 1961 displayed stewed dark fruit, wax, coconut, and spice. Bright on the palate. The 1968 was elegant. Earth, bramble, and dark fruit on the nose. Lengthy, bitter finish.

1954, 1961, and 1968 Lopez de Heredia 
 Bosconia Tintos

1981 and 1985 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonio Tintos -- The 1981 was perfumed and floral with red fruit, bramble, baking spices, and coconut on the nose. Smooth and elegant on the palate with strawberry, citrus, burnt orange, and leather. The 1985 was broader on the nose with coconut and red fruits apparent. Bright red fruit on the palate and higher acid levels. Coal tar. Lead pencil finish.

1981 and 1985 Tondonias

1970 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia -- Oxidative notes along with red fruits, black olives, tobacco, cedar, and herbs on the nose. Balanced. Sour cherries, dark red berries, earth, herbs, and oxidative note on the palate. Long complex finish.

1961 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia -- Violets, red berries, tobacco, leather, sandalwood, soy and herbs on the nose. Cherries, earth, anise, herbs, and spice on the palate. Good acid levels and smooth tannins. Balanced entry to a long, complex finish.

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As Thomas Matthews has stated in the Wine Spectator, "The wines of R. Lopez de Heredia define traditional Rioja and they set the standards by which the region's modern reds must be judged. The white Gran Reservas have few parallels in the world of wine ... they are unique, complex and alluring."

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Aged Spanish Wine Dinner in Jacksonville, FL

North and Central Florida are underserved when it comes to serious wine tastings; and the paucity increases when one strays from the "Napa Cab" lane. So I treated a WJ invitation to an aged-Rioja wine tasting at his home in Jacksonville with the respect that it warranted: immediate acceptance followed by regular email reviews to ensure that he had not changed the date, time, beverages, or my attendance.

The home is in a gated community, set a ways back from the guard gate. I rather enjoyed the scenery as I took the twists and turns until the GPS told me I had arrived and (I swear) that my destination was on the right.

I pulled into the driveway, parked, and reached into the back to retrieve my jacket and the bottle of wine that I had brought. Another car pulled up in the meanwhile and a lovely young couple exited and made their way towards the front door. I followed closely on their heels and shook their hands in the foyer. I raised my head and looked out into the the space beyond this couple and saw between six and eight perfectly (casually) coiffed couples. I walked in deeper and began shaking hands. I was becoming a little concerned though, because (i) this was supposed to have been a stag dinner and (ii) I was expecting a more mature group (not that there is anything wrong with successful, well-groomed young people).

I asked, hesitantly, "Am I at the right place?" One of the burnished young faces asked "Who are you looking for?" "WJ," I said. "Oh, he lives across the street." I was mortified. Luckily I had not grabbed a drink so I could slink out without having to look for a place to rest my glass. I drove across the street and was relieved when I saw WJ coming out of the house to welcome me. I did not mention a word as to what had happened until much later in the evening when the alcohol flowing through my veins loosened my tongue. We all had a hearty laugh. WJs daughter Elizabeth (the official photographer for the night's event) reassured me that the people whose party I had inadvertently crashed "are nice people."

I was among the early arrivals and one of the first things I noted upon entry was the large number of empty glasses on a couple of tables in a hallway off the sitting room. As only eight of us would be dining, it was clear that each attendee would have a dedicated glass for each wine of each flight. That is great because it provides the opportunity to continually revisit wines after the initial flurry. This was serious stuff.

We were all aware of the architecture of the tasting as WJ had kept us updated by email as things evolved. There was to be a "Cava Pop" at 6:30 pm, followed by a five-course dinner paired with wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, in turn followed by a cheese course paired with Madeiras. The food would be prepared by Chefs Herman Muller (Executive Chef, Ponte Vedra Inn and Club) and Erik Osol (Resort Chef de Cuisine and Head Chef of both the Seafoom Room and Seahorse Grill at the resort.

At 6:30 our Sommelier Brandon Boudreau began pouring the 2007 Mas Del Serral. I have posted on this wine, motivated partly by the impression it made on me and partly based on Brandon's encyclopedic knowledge of the wine. The hor d'oeuvres shown below accompanied the wine. Their freshness and fullness of flavor were the opening salvos in what would prove to be an epic night.

Brandon Boudreau was our Sommelier for the
night. His full-time job is Sommelier in the
Georgian Room at Sea Island Resort

Seared Scallop Ceviche

Razor Clams 

Blinis with Smoked Cobia

At the conclusion of our "Cava Hour," we were ushered into the dining room to commence our dinner.

The first course was a Sauteed Escargot (shown in the second picture below) and it was accompanied by the 1981 and 1985 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonio Tintos.

The 1981 was perfumed and floral with red fruit, bramble, baking spices, and coconut on the nose. Smooth and elegant on the palate with strawberry, citrus, burnt orange, and leather. The 1985 was broader on the nose with coconut and red fruits apparent. Bright red fruit on the palate and higher acid levels. Coal tar. Lead pencil finish.

Parsnip Parsley Veloute, Sauteed Escargot,
Oven-Fried Morel Mushrooms

Chef Erik Osol, Chef de Cuisine at Ponte Vedra
Inn and Club as well as Head Chef at both its
Seafoam Room and Seahorse Grill

1981 and 1985 Tondonias

The second course was a Seared Black Bass accompanied by the 1962 and 1964 Vega Sicilia Unicos.

The 1962 had a slight green character with coconut, leather, baking spices and red fruit on the nose. Concentrated but less alive than I would have hoped. This wine still has a long life ahead. The 1964 showed some funk on the nose along with spice, mint, and red fruits. More open than its compatriot. Full round mouthfeel with a cherry liqueur note. Balanced. Lengthy finish.

Seared Black Bass, White Gazpacho, Summer
Truffle

1962 and 1964 Vega Sicilia Unicos

A Roasted Duck Breast was the core of the third course and it was paired with a 1978 CVNE Imperial Reserva and a 1982 Marquès de Murietta Ygay.

The CVNE showed rose petals tobacco, baking spices, vanilla, and a metallic note. Layered on the palate with tobacco and a cupric character coming through from the nose. Engages the entire palate. An excellent wine. The Ygay showed spice, faded rose petals and strawberry, and a nuttiness on the nose. Flat and unyielding on the palate.

Roasted Duck Breast, Buttered Radish, Currant
Poultry Nage, Fava Beans, Pickled Blueberries,
Baby Turnips, Pickled Ramp

1978 CVNE and 1982 Marquès de Murietta Ygay

The Venison course was accompanied by the Lopez de Heredia Bosconia 1954, 1961, and 1968.

The Bosconia wines were all darker than any of the wines that had gone before. The 1954 showed waxy dark fruit, spice, nutmeg, leather truffles, and licorice. On the palate medium-bodied with sweet dark fruit. Lengthy finish. The 1961 displayed stewed dark fruit, wax, coconut, and spice. Bright on the palate. The 1968 was elegant. Earth, bramble, and dark fruit on the nose. Lengthy, bitter finish.

Seared Venison Loin, Burnt Sweet Onions,
Pickled Juniper Berry,
Hand-Shucked Garbanzo Beans, Demi-Glace

1954, 1961, and 1968 Lopez de Heredia
 Bosconia Tintos

We did a very European thing and closed out with a salad. The salad was paired with the 1964 and 1973 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonio Blanco.

The 1964 was a beautiful wine. Notes of honey and burnt orange. Nutty with massive minerality. Palate cleansing and palate pleasing with a never-ending finish. The 1973 was disappointingly slow out of the gate. It was less lively, and appeared older, than the 1964. It was also lighter-bodied. With some residence in the glass it lifted its head off the floor but it was truly outclassed.

Marigold, Pea Shoots, Lemon Palm, Red Oak,
Herb Greens, Yellow Beet Puree,
Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

1964 and 1973 Tondonia Blancos

We had three separate Madeiras accompany the cheeses and a fairly lengthy and in-depth presentation on the wines by the owner.

The 1851 Leacock Boal Solera was rich with orange, dried herbs, oxidative note, and nuttiness on the nose. Dried fruits, orange, figs, caramel and nuttiness on the palate. Acidity balances out the sweetness. Persistent finish. The 1877 Camara de Lobos Torre Bella showed caramel, beeswax, nuttiness. Hazelnuts and caramel on the palate. The 1891 Barbeito Ribiero Real Bual was rich with spice, orange, and cherry liqueur. Great acid level. Long, tangy finish.

Local and Imported Cheeses to include:
Wainright Cheeses, Magnolia Ash Blue,
Parmesan, Rabiola

1851 Leacock Boal Solera, 1877 Camara de
Lobos Torre Bella, 1891 Barbeito Ribiero
Real Bual

The full lineup of dinner wines is shown below.

At the conclusion of the formal dinner we sought to cleanse the palates with a few bottles of Champagne.

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This was an excellent tasting. It was well architected, curated, and staged. I must first of all thank WJ for putting this together and providing the wines that formed the core of the tasting.

Brandon Boudreau, our Sommelier, did a phenomenal job. He opened, tasted, and served each and every bottle of wine, working alone for the most part. His staging of the glasses allowed him to pour the wines away from the table and deliver ready-to-drink portions to the table in a just-in-time manner.

The chefs outdid themselves. Resort chefs are not known for delivering this level of inventiveness and innovation in this custom setting but these guys came through with flying colors. Each dish was on point.

I really enjoyed tasting with the group. I was the newbie but these guys are all wine lovers and foodies and the quality of the food and wines provided fertile ground for some truly interesting dialogue.

The wines showed well with my favorites being the Tondonia Tintos, the 1964 Vega Sicilia, the 1978 CVNE, and the 1964 Tondonia Blanco. Of course I also liked the 2007 Mas Del Serral.

A night to remember.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Vintage Rioja wine tasting at the Bull and Bear: Selected years, 1925-2001

The wines of Spain's Rioja region -- known and respected around the world -- owe their prominence to three factors: terroir, an affinity for oak, and the included grape varieties.  Within the corpus of Rioja winemaking, there is an ongoing debate between "traditionalists" and "modernists" with the former favoring long aging in American oak barrels while the latter favor shorter aging periods in French oak.  In order to investigate the two schools in detail, I endeavored to hold tastings of vintage wines from both schools (keeping in mind that the roots of the traditional school go far deeper in time than do the roots of the modernist school).  This post reports on a vintage traditional tasting held at the Bull and Bear restaurant at Orlando's Waldorf Astoria on Friday, March 2nd, 2012.

The wines for the tasting were sourced from the cellars of @wineORL, Ron Siegel, and Steve Alcorn, the latter two being prominent Orlando-area collectors.  The wines included in the tasting are shown ordered alphabetically by winery in the table below.  Some points of note: (i) all of the wines were red; (ii) with two exceptions, all of the wines were from centenarian wineries (wineries plying their trade in the Rioja region for in excess of 100 years); (iii) a total of 20 wines were associated with the 10 wineries; and (iv) with five wines in the mix, the venerable house of Bodegas R. Lopez de Heredia is the source for 25% of the wines in the tasting.

The tasting was led by Andrew McNamara MS and was arranged in three flights from youngest to oldest.  The youngest wines were all opened prior to the start of the tasting and allowed to breathe in the bottle. To protect against degradation of a potentialy delicate wine, the 1925 Marques de Riscal was only opened when he was ready for it to be poured.

The first flight was comprised of the the wines from the '80s and '90s plus the Vina Ardanza.  The wines were tasted in the following order:

2001 Vina Ardanza
1999 CVNE Imperial
1997 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904
1991 R. Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Gran Reserrva
1985 Bodega Montecillo Vina Monty Gran Reserva
1982 Muga Gran Reserva Rioja
1981 Bodega Montecillo Vina Monty Gran Reserva

The first three wines in the flight exhibited primary fruit and oak with dill a common characteristic.  The Vina Ardanza was creamy and light with distinct red fruit character and was less than full-bodied while the La Rioja Alta exhibited vanilla, rhubarb, strawberry, and dill.  Things improved on the palate as we moved deeper into the flight (with the exception of the '85 Montecillo which was corked) with the Muga (graphite, iron, certain sweetness) and the Tondonia (strawberries) showing very well.  The Tondonia was elected wine of the flight.

The second flight was our '70s flight and the wines were tasted as follows:

1978 Marques de Caceres Rioja Gran Reserva
1978 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay
1976 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Bosconia
1973 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva Cuvee Centenario
1976 Muga Gran Reserva
1970 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia
1970 Faustino I Gran Reserva

The excellence that began to take hold in the wines of the 1990s continued into and through this flight.  The dill and primary fruit evident in the early wines of flight 1 had resolved into raisins and coffee in this flight.  The wine of the flight was the 1973 Rioja Alta Gran Reserva.

The final flight was orderd as follows:

1968 Vina Valoria
1968 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Bosconia
1964 Faustino I Rioja Gran Reserva
1964 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva
1961 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia
1925 Marques de Riscal Reserva

The wines in this flight were all superb and completed the seduction of the tasting panel that had been initiated by the wines in the second half of the opening flight.  The wines were mostly well balanced  with smoke, chocolate, and dustiness on the palate being a common characteristic.  The stunner was the 1925 Marques de Riscal which ended up as the wine of the flight and of the night.  This wine was opened just prior to pouring because we were afraid that it might be too delicate to survive extended exposure to the elements; but it got better with the passage of time and three hours later it was running at top speed.  Phenomenal.  I need more of this wine.

Andrew McNamara MS, Premier Beverages and Dhane Chesson, Vibrant Rioja

This was an excellent tasting which converted all of the participants from tepid to full-throated fans of vintage traditional Rioja wines.  Dhane Chesson, Vibrant Rioja Representative, participated in the tasting and was extremely pleased at the showing of  her charges. Please visit Steve Alcorn's blog for individual tasting notes as well as for a discussion of the post-tasting dinner and wines.

© Wine -- The View From Orlando

Bodegas R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia: A Rioja tradition

I will be hosting a vintage Rioja tasting at the Bull and Bear in Orlando's Waldorf Astoria in early March and will post a blog about the event shortly thereafter.  In the period leading up to the tasting, I will be publishing posts on the region and the estates (Marques de Riscal, R. Lopez de Heredia, La Rioja Alta, Faustino I, Vina Valoria, Bodegas Muga, Castillo Ygay, Marques de Caceres, Bodegas Montecilo, CVNE) whose wines will be included in the event.  Previous posts have covered the region and its grape varieties.  This post explores the Lopez de Heredia estate.

Source: lopezdeheredia.com

R. Lopez de Heredia was founded over 135 years ago by Don Rafael Lopéz de Heredia y Landeta who was known as "a knowledgeable and enthusiastic student in the art of winemaking."  The estate falls squarely into the "traditionalist" camp and has forged and maintained a reputation for high-quality wines through its focus on vineyard care, rigorous grape selection, and oak-barrel ageing.  It is the only estate to have been awarded a Diploma of Guarantee by the Rioja DOC regulatory authority as recognition for never having used non-estate grapes in its wines.

Grapes for the estate's wines are grown in four separate vineyards, each of which is dedicated to a specific label.  The particulars of the vineyards are presented in the table below.

Lopez de Heredia Vineyards

Grapes are hand-harvested by families of harvesters from Portugal and Spain and are taken to the winery in tractor-drawn trailers.  At the winery they are placed in de-stemming machines before moving to fermentation containers.  The red wines ferment on the skins while the white have no skin contact.  Rosés macerate but are removed from skin contact prior to fermentation.  The must is fermented in large oak vats: 60 hectoliters for whites and 240 hectoliters for the reds. 

Red wine fermentation at Lopez de Heredia is a two-step process.  The first phase lasts for seven days and includes pumping-over.  At the end of this phase the must is drained off the remaining solids.  The second fermentation (5-6 months) takes place in Bordeaux-type oak barrels and has as its goal the removal of residual sugar.

After fermentation the wines are aged in 225-liter oak barrels.  The wine is exposed to a slow oxygenation process, facilitated by the pores in the wood, and are racked once or twice a year during the ageing process.

The population of the Bodegas' wines are presented in the table below.   Data from the most recent vintage of each label is used to present a representative picture.  The table indicates that Lopez de Heredia is a producer os some significance and that the production of Viña Tondonia dwarfs that of all the other labels combined.

As Thomas Matthews stated in the Wine Spectator, "The wines of R. Lopez de Heredia define traditional Rioja and they set the standards by which the region's modern reds must be judged.  The white Gran Reservas have few parallels in the world of wine ... they are unique, complex and alluring."