Vinoculation

It has to be said that my experiences with Spanish wine have been few and far between. I’ve certainly enjoyed a fair swag of cheap, good value Garnachas and the odd Rioja with some age on it, but when someone is heavily biased to riesling, syrah/shiraz and pinot noir, I guess Spain can slip under the radar. Not so on this occassion.

Lopez de Heredia are swathed in old-school winemaking practices and tradition borne of an ethos established at the same time as the winery in 1877. Their wines are notoriously rustic; bucolic examples of wine crafted to age and only released when the winemaker deems appropriate. Thus, their current releases can often have a decade or two of age, usually split equally with time in older oak and time in bottle.

Mike Weersing, of Pyramid Valley, was on hand to provide an introduction to the winery and account of the wines. He effectively ran the tasting. Mike has a soft spot for Lopez de Heredia, having visited the region and winery before. A family-owned Riojan winery bathed in that much tradition and artisian winemaking would be hard for Mike to resist (or anyone for that matter). It was interesting for me to learn that the vina (vineyards) of the region lie on limestone/clay and chalk soils, having been under the impression that only Champagne could boast a foundation of genuine chalk bedrock.

We were served eight wines from Lopez de Heredia and here are my notes:

1996 Lopez de Heredia Gravonia
Yellow straw colour. Aromatics were nut and honey themed; honeysuckle, peach, nougat and pollen. Broad, honeyed palate with substantial weight and a streak of austerity. Polished mouthfeel. Finishes long with weak citrus notes. Balanced and very enjoyable, with many years ahead.

1989 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Reserva
This wine spends circa 8yrs in barrel and 8yrs in bottle. Yellowed colour with a tinge of gold. Toffee, nutty, brown sugar, aldehydic nose. Quite sherry-like. One suspects a tired, weary palate, but the freshness is immediately apparent. Crisply austere, with a subtle lemon infusion and green apple on the finish. Interesting and intriguing. I couldn’t divorce myself from the sherry bouquet, but I suspect that with more air the nose would change for the better.

1997 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Rose
Very bricked, orange-rust brown colour, still with a glimmer of vibrance. The nose is a mishmash of undergrowth, perfume, rotting raspberries and custard. The palate is driven by young phenolics, with subtle cherry flavourings. Taught acid is kept in check by adequate weight and ripeness. Finishes light, without a great deal of length. Again, an interesting wine, but not my cup of tea.

2001 Lopez de Heredia Cubillo Crianza
Dim, garnet colour. I detected some bandaid brett straight off the cuff. There is also some sour black cherry, cranberry, forest and floral aromatics. The palate is domineered by spiky acid and disjointed fruit, finishing tart and bitter. Quite lightweight and somewhat of a mission to work through. I looked underneath the surface ugliness and failed to find anything resembling enjoyment. Unbalanced.

1999 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia
Garnet red hue with a denser, red centre. A floral nose, supported by tamarillo, redcurrant, a hint of gun-smoke and sappyness. Generous, full-bodied palate with oodles of red-coloured fruits. There is an element of astringency, becoming more pronounced with dry, savoury, skinsy tannins. Good length. Needs a decade or two.

1998 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Reserva
Garnet colour. Slightly maderized nose. Baking spice, corn kernel and floral notes help alleviate the initial oxidative characters which have become more backward, tending to a dried fruit spectrum. There are elements of old, dried, sweet fruit that incise the palate, nicely contrasted by savoury characters maintained within a medium-bodied shell. The acid provides welcome freshness, the tannins semi-resolved with hints of cedar on the finish. An intellectual wine, already showing great character and complexity.

1985 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Gran Reserva
Browning orange, rusted colour. The nose is incredibly complex, bursting with aromatic power; caramel, cola, peanuts, rhubarb, dried herbs, cherry and more. After taking a sip, you’re struck by the majesty of the wine; resolved, rested and ready for drinking, though anything but tired. The gentle, warm, cuddly palate is harmonised by an elegant acid marriage and a mouthfeel of painstakingly polished edges and corners. The tannins are resolved and the finish is long. Not even Stephen Bennett MW and his analogy of grannies and coitus could deter from the quality of this wine.

1981 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Gran Reserva
Tawny orange colour. The oak content is more apparent in this vintage and the bouquet is markedly different; smoke, star anise, caramel fudge, leather and baked citrus. The acid is quite pronounced for such an old wine, as are the fine but apparent tannins. The texture is almost slippery, to quote Weersing. I think this is a longer-lived wine than the ‘85, but more awkward and less gratifying.

So there you have it. Unusual wines, it must be said, but it is so refreshing to actually taste ‘wines’ rather than fruity grape juice as so many are accustomed to these days. The ‘85 Tondonia Gran Reserva was very special and it would be the perfect accompaniment for an appropriate meat dish. In fact, all the wines of Lopez de Heredia are intended to be drunk with food. Mike Weersing presented the wines exceptionally with his confident, charismatic charm.