Medium pale yellow-green color with a ripe lemon hue; lighter in color than the other Gravonias. Typical of Heredia style, the nose is slightly oxidative, but also somewhat restrained, drier and less fruity than the older Gravonias with waxy aromas of dusty sawdust, some creamy tones, a little bit of spicy red apple, light caramel tones, a subtly lactic hint of vanilla yogurt and a touch of coconut flakes. The wine is dry, complex and slightly oily on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of sweet cream, some savory notes of toasty old oak, a little bit of vanilla custard, light woody notes of sawdust, a hint of stony minerality and a rich, mushroomy touch of porcini fried in butter. Rather high acidity. There’s also a subtle metallic overtone that distracts a little from the pleasure. The finish is complex, long and slightly sweeter compared to the midpalate with layered flavors of toasty nuttiness, some creamy tones, a little bit of tangy green apple, light nuances of caramel, a hint of lemony citrus fruits and an understated touch of vanilla.
A fine, balanced and thoroughly classic Gravonia - but to me the wine felt still a bit too young and somewhat unintegrated in style. Compared to the older vintages of Gravonia, the woody notes came across as slightly more pronounced compared to the fruit and the wine was lacking a bit the harmony Gravonia normally tends to exhibit. However, the wine seemed to be built for the long haul, so I can imagine it was just a bit too young and lacking in focus at the moment, but will come together nicely if one can wait for another 4-6 years. Or then it’s just me, because many people in the tasting found the wine very lovely already. Nevertheless, most likely this wine won’t be hitting its peak within the next 10-15 years, so there are no hurries whatsoever with it. Expect the score to go up over the years. Recommended. (89 pts.)
Evolved, yet still relatively youthful and quite concentrated golden yellow color. Complex, somewhat oxidative and surprisingly sweet-toned nose with quite concentrated and very seductive aromas of apple core, toasty nuttiness, some caramel, light notes of rosin, a little bit of juicy peach-driven stone fruit, a hint of honeysuckle and a touch of vanilla cream. The wine is bright, lively and relatively concentrated on the palate with a medium body and intense, somewhat oxidative and remarkably complex flavors of tart green apple, tangy salinity, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light creamy notes of browned butter and vanilla custard, a hint of rosin and a caramel touch of crema catalana. Bright, high acidity that lends tremendous freshness and intensity to the wine. The finish is very long, tangy and really complex with layered, subtly oxidative flavors of caramel, some tart green apples, a little bit of lemony citrus fruits, light savory notes of old oak spice, hints of apple core and bruised apple and a touch of sweet cream.
Consistently a tremendously beautiful Gravonia and perhaps the best vintage since 2006. In a flight of Gravonias 2011, 2010 and 2009, this was the most impressive one to me, compared to the somewhat too young, underwhelming and slightly disjointed 2011 and the fruitier, slightly softer (yet still pretty wonderful) vintage 2009. This is terrific stuff that might appear old and oxidized to an untrained eye, but which is in effect a ridiculously young vintage of Gravonia that is still miles away from its peak. It’s hard to assess whether this or 2006 will be the best 2000’s Gravonia after they develop old enough, but I’m quite certain those two are the very best Gravonias released on this side of millennium. A stupendous wine that will only improve over the next 15+ years; expect the score to go up over the years. Outrageous value at 20€. (93 pts.)
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color with subtle greenish hue. Savory, concentrated and somewhat oxidative nose with very complex aromas of chopped nuts, some creamy notes of vanilla custard and sweet cream, light notes of ripe apricot, a little bit of rosin, a hint of sweet smoke and a touch of fresh orange. The wine is ripe, concentrated and medium-to-moderately full-bodied on the palate with dry and quite intense flavors of fresh red apples, some caramel, light mineral notes of tangy salinity, light creamy notes of panna cotta, ripe citrus fruit hints of lemon and blood orange and a touch of crème à la vanille. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine effortlessly in balance and lends it good sense of structure. The finish is rich, remarkably long and quite acid-driven with complex, dry flavors of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some tangy salinity, light juicy notes of sweet golden apples, light caramel tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of butter-fried funnel mushrooms.
A beautifully harmonious, complex and tasty vintage of 2009, but it exhibits rather obvious ripeness compared to the surrounding handful of vintages. The overall style here is slightly weightier and fruitier, having more emphasis on the richness of the fruit and less on the acidity. Not overtly so on either of these cases, but enough to make the wine feel somewhat distinctive in a vertical tasting. All in all, the wine shows all the hallmark qualities of a Gravonia - oxidative complexity, fresh acidity and remarkable depth of flavor - and there’s really not a thing wrong here. A beautiful wine in every way. When it comes to the vintage differences, I’d prefer 2006 or 2010 over this one, but this is very close behind. Most likely this won’t be among the most long-lived vintages of Gravonia, but the wine needs to wait for many more years before hitting its apogee. Expect the score to go up as the wine ages. (92 pts.)
Luminous and quite concentrated medium-deep lemon-yellow color with a subtly bronze core. Complex, slightly oxidative nose with layered aromas of bruised apple, some crema catalana, light resinous tones, a little bit of crunchy quince, a sweet hint of honey and a toasty touch of savory oak spice. The wine is fresh, crunchy and relatively lean for a Gravonia with a medium body and rather acid-driven flavors of lemony citrus fruits, ripe red apples, some crunchy quince and fresh pineapple tones, light metallic notes of rusty iron or copper coins, a little bit of wildhoney, a hint of rosin and a touch of stony minerality. The racy acidity lends impressive sense of freshness and structure to the wine. The long finish is bright, tangy and acid-driven with quite pronounced saline minerality followed by flavors of rich creaminess, some tart green apples, light fried mushroom tones, a little bit of lemony citrus fruits, a nutty hint of slivered almonds and a metallic touch of rusty nails.
An otherwise very lovely, bright and fresh vintage of Gravonia, but the taste seems to have a slightly metallic edge to it that distracts me a bit form pleasure. Since this wasn’t the first time a Heredia has tasted metallic to me and it seems to be a quality that isn’t dependent on the wine but on a bottle, I hope this was just one of those “metallic” bottles and any future 2008 Gravonia I might have won’t be showing it. Since it’s hard to picture fully how the wine would be without it, it’s hard to give a representative score to the wine, which is why I’m going to assess the wine how it appeared to me and a bottle without any metallic taste would be probably 1-3 points better. The overall feel here was that the wine was quite light in style, emphasizing freshness, acidity and crunchy fruit in favor of concentration and oxidative complexity. I’d imagine this translates to good cellaring potential, but I doubt this will be among the top Gravonias even with age - this might have the freshness of the best Gravonias, but lacking the stuffing of vintages like 2006, 2007 and 2010. Nevertheless, a promising effort. Recommended. (90 pts.)
Luminous, deep and concentrated burnished golden yellow color. The nose feels complex, but relatively reticent compared to the more expressive noses of the other vintages of Gravonia. Layered and seductively sweet-toned aromas of lemon marmalade, caramel, some sweet smoke, light apricot tones, a little bit of of browned butter, an oxidative, nutty hint of roasted walnuts and a touch of rosin. The wine is complex, moderately full-bodied and slightly oily on the palate with nuanced, not particularly intense flavors of rich creaminess, ripe golden apples, some caramel tones, a little bit of roasted walnut, light dried-fruit flavors, a tangy hint of tart green apple and a touch of fresh pineapple. The relatively high acidity keeps the wine fresh, structured and well in balance despite the moderately full-bodied overall feel. The finish is long and seems to pick up on intensity, leaving quite concentrated and subtly sweet-toned flavors of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some almond-driven nuttiness, light creamy notes of oak, a little bit of crème brûlée, oxidative hints of caramel and rosin and a touch of tangy salinity.
A very beautiful, fine-tuned and harmonious vintage of Viña Gravonia. This might not show the energy and tension of vintages like 2006 or 2010, but it makes it all up with its sense of depth, complexity and balance. The wine is drinking beautifully at the moment, as it really doesn’t come across as particularly youthful anymore, yet it doesn’t feel particularly mature either. Most likely the wine will continue to improve for years more, but is nicely open for business right now. Most likely will be hitting its peak in the next 7-10 years. An epitome of bargain at 14€. (93 pts.)
Quite concentrated and moderately deep honey-yellow color. Beautifully complex, savory and slightly oxidative nose with fascinating, layered aromas of marzipan, ripe orange, some applesauce, light mushroomy notes of fried chanterelles, a little bit of lemon marmalade, oxidative hints of caramel and roasted nuts and a toasty touch of custard brioche. The nose seems to be starting to pick up on a slightly dessert wine-like character with age. The wine is remarkably fresh, focused and firm on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors tangy salinity, ripe lemony citrus fruits, sharp Granny Smith apple tones, some creamy richness, light savory notes of woody oak, a little bit of chopped nuts, subtly oaky nuances of toffee and vanilla and a touch of bruised apple. The racy acidity lends impressive tension and sense of structure to the wine. The finish is very long, intense and acid-driven with concentrated, crunchy flavors of tart lemony citrus fruits, tangy salinity, some green apple tones, a little bit of creamy oak, light sweet nuances of honeyed richness and ripe apricots, an oxidative hint of chopped walnuts and a touch of rosin.
To me, this is consistently the most impressive Gravonia made in this millennium. Exceptional intensity, complexity and structured acidity. The wine is gaining complexity with age, but it still feels relatively youthful for its age - the only thing suggesting this isn’t young anymore how the nose is starting to develop into a lush, more dessert wine-like direction from the classic Heredia aroma profile. Otherwise the wine is still remarkably youthful for a white wine clocking at 14 years of age and most likely will continue to do so for another 10 years or even more. Easily among the winner wines in this vertical. Quoting myself from an earlier TN: “At only 15€ I lack words to describe the ridiculous value of this unique wine. Very highly recommended.” (94 pts.)
Quite deep and intense yet still surprisingly youthful burnished golden yellow color with subtly greenish highlights. The nose is savory, robust and very complex with slightly oxidative and somewhat sweet-toned aromas of honeycomb and wildhoney, some chopped nuts, a little bit of dried apricots, light cloudberry jam tones, a hint of canned pineapple and a touch of browned butter. The age has granted an almost botrytis-like sense of richness to the nose. The wine is full-bodied, complex and slightly oxidative on the palate with juicy and obviously quite ripe flavors of blood orange, spicy red apple, oxidative nuttiness, some sweet cream, a little bit of pineapple, light coconut tones, a hint of honeycomb and a touch of browned butter. There’s quite a bit of richness and sense of breadth to the mouthfeel, but the moderately high acidity keeps the wine nicely structured and well in balance. The finish is ripe, juicy and very complex with lengthy flavors of orange marmalade, some creamy notes of crema catalana, light buttery tones, a little bit of oxidative nuttiness, a hint of baking spices and a touch of coconut.
A wonderfully rich, complex and harmonious vintage of Gravonia that shows noticeably more ripeness and sense of weight than most vintages of Gravonia, coming across as very much like Viña Tondonia Blanco. Tasting 2006 and 2005 side-by-side really shows how big the difference between these wines is: this vintage is quite big, ripe and rather substantial in style, whereas 2006 is very focused, even lean and incredibly precise in style. Both have started to show that sweeter, even subtly dessert wine-kind of sweetness and richness to the flavors, which these Heredia whites seem to develop only with some age. Stylistically this 2005 is very similar to the 2009 vintage, which showed almost identical sense of concentration, ripeness and weight - this 2005 vintage only showing a bit more developed depth and complexity. Outrageous value at 14€. (93 pts.)
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2004 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (24.8.2020)
A blend of Viura (90%) and Malvasía Riojana (10%) from Viña Tondonia vineyard harvested in mid-October. After the spontaneous fermentation, the wine is aged for 6 years in predominantly old American oak barrels and bottled unfiltered in 2011. Labeled “Reserva”, although the wine is effectively a Gran Reserva. 12,5% alcohol, 6,5 g/l acidity. Total production 35,000 bottles.
Medium-deep burnished golden yellow color. Somewhat sweet and creamy but also slightly restrained nose with reticent yet very complex aromas of panna cotta, some toffee, a little bit of oxidative nuttiness, light sweeter nuances of dried apricots and butterscotch, a hint of old furniture and a herbal touch of slightly minty greenness. The wine is remarkably fresh, focused and vibrant on the palate with almost crisp acidity, a medium body and intense flavors of tangy salinity, sharp lemony tones, some fresh apple-driven white fruit, light oxidative notes of chopped nuts, a little bit of marzipan, a sweet hint of honeyed richness and a touch of vanilla. The racy acidity lends remarkable freshness and sense of structure to the wine. The finish is long, crisp and crunchy with complex flavors of tart lemony citrus fruits, fresh red apple, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of tangy salinity, light savory notes of old wood spice, oaky hints of creaminess and toffee and a touch of slivered almond.
A beautiful and surprisingly lean vintage of Viña Tondonia Blanco. Normally Gravonia is the lighter and more acid-driven wine, whereas Tondonia Blanco tends to show more weight and substance. However, after the 2005 Gravonia, this 2004 Tondonia seemed lighter and crunchier in comparison. The overall feel was very precise and remarkably youthful, but surprisingly understated as well, especially in the nose. The closest comparison from the tasting would be 2010 Gravonia, which felt both as young and as racy and acid-driven as this Tondonia. This vintage doesn’t seem to pack that much punch as the surrounding vintages of Tondonia Blanco, but instead it seems to be aging at a glacial pace and showing tons of potential for future development. It might not be that impressive for now, but I can imagine this will be one of the longer-lived vintages of Tondonia Reserva. Really lovely stuff, expect the score to go up as the wine ages. (92 pts.)
Quite deep, concentrated and rather intense golden yellow color with a bronze core. Developed, robust and moderately oxidative nose with very complex and quite seductive aromas of chopped nuts, pineapple, some gravelly minerality, a little bit of ginger syrup, light fruity notes of greengage, a hint of toasted coconut and a savory touch of old wood spice. The wine is evolved, toasty and complex on the palate with a somewhat oily mouthfeel, quite full body and layered flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some baked apple, light caramel notes, a little bit of roasted walnuts, a hint of browned butter and a touch of dried apricots. The high acidity lends wonderful freshness and sense of structure to the wine, making this wine feel slightly leaner than the 1993 vintage tasted alongside. The finish is long, fresh and lengthy with intense, quite acid-driven flavors of tangy salinity, lemony citrus fruits, some cooked cream tones, a little bit of tart green apples, light oxidative notes of roasted nuts, a hint of smoke and a touch of baked apple.
A wonderfully developed, complex and harmonious Gravonia with quite a bit of age, but not yet enough to make the wine feel particularly old. Either the wine is now at its plateau of maturity or it can evolve a bit more from here - whatever the case is, I doubt the wine is going to be falling apart anytime soon. Compared to the 1993 vintage, this wine feels like it is higher in acidity, but also coming across as slightly more evolved with a bit less depth, concentration and intensity. Nevertheless, this was easily among the best wines in the tasting. An exemplary case in point why one should age these Viña Gravonias and not just drink all the bottles upon release - these really do reward aging. (95 pts.)
Deep, concentrated and rather intense golden yellow color. Captivating, evolved and quite sweet-toned nose with complex aromas of caramel, ripe apricots, some cooling green herbal tones, a little bit of resinous character, light nutty notes of almonds, a hint of gingery syrup and a touch of orange marmalade with a dusty undertone of old wood. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated and somewhat viscous on the palate with very complex flavors of bruised apple, sharp lemony fruit, oxidative nuttiness, some caramel tones, light mushroomy notes of chanterelles fried in butter, a little bit of toffee, oaky hints of dry old wood, toffee and peanut butter and subtle mineral undertones of gravelly minerality and tangy salinity. Lots of stuff going on here. While the acidity doesn’t feel as high as in 1994 vintage, it is still quite high, lending the wine wonderful sense of freshness, precision and intensity. The finish is fresh, lively and complex with flavors of tart green apples and baked red apples, oxidative nuttiness, some lemony citrus fruits, a little bit of sweet smoky character, light creamy notes of crema catalana, a hint of browned butter and a touch of toasted coconut.
Just as 3½ years ago, this is again one of the most memorable wines in the tasting - if not the most memorable. The depth, intensity and complexity here are just otherworldly. The wine is very similar to the vintage 1994 that was tasted alongside, but while the 1994 seemed to be higher in acidity, this vintage felt slightly more youthful with more depth, weight and complexity. The overall feel here is perfectly harmonious and the wine is a true testament to the aging potential of Heredia’s whites, including this “entry-level white” of their range. Even though the wine feels quite evolved, I’m not fully convinced the wine is at its peak yet - I can imagine this wine will continue to improve for at least some years and keep good for another decade or two. Simply outstanding stuff, outrageous value at approx. 40€. (97 pts.)
Trasnlucent black cherry color with a developed maroon hue. Dry, dusty and dull nose with some damp cardboard notes and no fruit to speak of. Subtle TCA taste.
Corked. Not obviously corked with tell-tale aromas of mouldy old cellar, but definitely suffering from TCA. Can’t say this experience was worth the 175€. NR (flawed)
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1996 Clos Erasmus Priorat - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat (24.8.2020)
There’s lots of variation on what is the blend here, the data ranging from 100% Grenache to a blend of Grenache (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%) and Syrah (20%), depending on the source. 14,5% alcohol.
Somewhat developed, luminous and relatively little translucent reddish-maroon color with a thin, colorless rim. The nose feels developed and quite savory with dry aromas of bloody meat, licorice root, some leather, light fruity notes of wizened dark berries, a little bit of roasted game and a sweeter hint of blackberry jam. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and quite textural on the palate with juicy flavors of wizened boysenberries, gamey meat, some licorice root, light plummy tones, a little bit of wizened black cherry, a dark-toned hint of marmaladey sweetness and a touch of sweet, toasty oak spice. The wine is still quite muscular with its high acidity and relatively grippy, assertive tannins. The high alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the palate. The finish is ripe, somewhat sweet-toned and quite grippy with long, complex flavors of boysenberries, some blackberry jam, light licorice tones, a little bit of leather, a hint of toasty oak spice and a salty-umami touch of beef jerky.
A very enjoyable and quite impressive Priorat that has developed to some degree. However, people wondered whether the wine is actually improving rather than just developing. This is a big, ripe wine with a great structure that can stand up to the weighty body and concentrated fruit, resulting in a wine that is seemingly very impressive and in a great shape now. However, nobody seemed to be particularly impressed by the wine - it felt like it was built to impress, but at the same time it seemed to lack character completely. It was like any other big wine with sturdy structure. At least this wine proved that Priorat wines can age easily for 25 years - but the jury is still out whether these wines actually benefit from such long aging. While a terrific wine in its own right, I’m not particularly convinced that this wine was worth the 175€. (93 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker