Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Saturday, March 25, 2017 - 100% Viura from Viña Gravonia (aka. Zaconia) vineyard in the municipality of Zaco, purchased in 1909-1912 and replanted in 1925. The wine gets its name because it is a Spanish emulation of the classic whites of the Graves region. After the spontaneous fermentation, the wine is aged for 4 years in predominantly old American oak barrels.

Quite deep honeyed yellow color with a subtle copper hue. Brooding, dark-toned and beautifully matured nose with attractive, fragrant and somewhat sweet aromas of caramel, ripe citrus fruits and lemon marmalade, some bruised apple, a little bit of nuttiness, a hint of browned butter and a red-toned nuance of sweet strawberry. The wine is full-bodied, rich and oily on the palate, yet remarkably fresh and structured for its age, thanks to the high acidity. There are complex, developed flavors of tart, lemony citrus fruits, stony minerality, caramel, some mushroomy notes, a little bit of smokiness, a hint of creaminess and cooked crème brûlee and an oxidative touch of roasted nuts, The finish is remarkably fresh, acid-driven and incredibly long with long, layered flavors of roasted spices, smoke, cream, some dried peaches, a little bit of steely minerality, a hint of nuttiness and a touch of baked apple.

A stunning and complex aged Rioja that serves as a testament to the aging capability of Viña Gravonia, the entry-level white of López de Heredia. Even though this is an inexpensive, lowly Rioja white, its very traditional, old-school winemaking makes it incredibly long-lived and although the wine is already very complex to boot, these developed characteristics this wine has gained in these 25 or so years, are beyond comprehension. An incredible wine and an unique experience. This wine really shows why you should let even your Gravonias age more and not just drink them young. This wine cost 39,40€, which was pretty expensive for a Gravonia, but worth every damn penny and more. So very highly recommended.

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