2002 Lopez de Heredia Gravonia White Crianza

2002 Lopez de Heredia Gravonia White Crianza

By Codey Foster

Lopez de Heredia is the most traditional producer in all of Rioja and probably one of the most traditional producers in all of Spain. While so many of Rioja’s wineries have moved toward modern production and even the “Traditional” producers have adopted at least some technological advancement, Lopez de Heredia has stood still, as if frozen in time.

Evolution, (sometimes fortunately, and sometimes unfortunately) happens in wine regions as a process of natural selection. As time passes, winemakers tailor their product to suit the palate of the fickle and ever changing consumer—and the critic too. As a result, most wineries never settle. And while they may be able to make great wine, they may never be able to fine-tune their product in the same way that Lopez de Heredia has.

In the reality of modern day production, producers are in a rush to get their bottles out of the cellars and onto the shelves of liquor stores and wine shops. In contrast, Lopez de Heredia is one of the few wineries that believes in giving the wine as much time as it needs to develop and not shipping it out until it is absolutely ready to drink.

French oak? Overrated. Winery sanitation? Who cares? Controlled oxidation? Good stuff. It’s all part of the brilliant and time-tested recipe that Lopez uses to craft exceptional wines even in dismal vintages.

And while there are plenty of other winemakers that make ample and indulgent versions of traditional red Rioja, to my knowledge, Lopez is just about the only producer making truly traditional white Rioja. And these wines are some of the most developed, complex, and thought-provoking white wines that I’ve ever tasted. And the reds? They’re extraordinarily complex, textbook examples of Traditional Rioja—a true testament to what Tempranillo is capable of.

As it turns out we’ve brought in a handful of wines from Lopez, both red and white and I think they are some of the finest wines we’ve got, despite being exceptionally affordable. I figured I’d start the introduction by reviewing the 2002 white Crianza—a wine that has changed the way I think about white wine all together.

I’ll start off by pointing out that 2002 was, well, a pretty lame vintage in Rioja. Late rains in combination with a generally short growing season spelled out small and low quality yields for some bodegas. Despite an unfavorable vintage, however, Lopez de Heredia somehow managed to come up with this masterpiece—a feat that I’d imagine is an offspring of both its winemaking and the vintage. In less favorable vintages, reserve grapes that would typically be used in greater wines can be declassified and as a result more basic wines end up incorporating better fruit from more renowned vineyard plots.

In the glass this white Crianza shows a deep golden honey colored hue.

On the nose it is spectacularly complex and admittedly somewhat oxidative. Fresh apple juice fruit is followed by rich nutty notes of almonds and cashews, with dried orangey fruit filling in on the back palate beside baked apple, spice, and a yeasty Fino quality with a hint of brininess.

On the palate the Crianza delivers rich, full-bodied, and with spectacular acidity. It’s not hard to imagine that this wine is 10 years old, but I look with awe at the grace at which it has aged, and the story it tells. Dense notes of complex raw honey comb resonate through the fruit and the picture is framed by quality American Oak—Appalachian-harvested American Oak, that I might mention is imparted to the wine through barrels handcrafted in Lopez de Heredia’s own workshop.

At the table, I couldn’t even begin to draw boundaries for this wine. It exemplifies the acidity to pair with fish, the flavor profile for Manchego, and meaty secondary development, oak tannin, and body to stand up to the right red meats. I think you will find that it is spectacularly versatile while remaining incredibly indulgent all on its own.

$29.99--$26.09 in a mixed case. Can you believe that?