Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Monday, August 24, 2020 - 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 from being 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 and bottled unfiltered. Labeled "Crianza", although the wine is effectively a Gran Reserva. 12% alcohol. Tasted in a Gravonia 2011-1993 vertical tasting.

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€.

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