Community Tasting Notes (10) Avg Score: 89.5 points

  • 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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  • Quite good body and naturally you will feel the age where most of the fruit has dried out but still rewarding especially with time in the glass.

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  • 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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  • Eccellente Rioja Blanco. Perfettamente abbinato ad un prosciutto iberico bellota. Colore oro. Naso intenso e complesso di idrocarburi, miele. fiori secchi, camomilla. Meraviglioso in bocca dove lo stile ossidativo che domina la fase iniziale viene prima equilibrato e poi dominato da una bella spina acida. Gramìnde sapidità e mineralità. Lunghissimo finale.

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  • What a wonderful bottle. Golden yellow. Nose of pretrol, oil, honey, bee-wax, dried apricot. Lightly bodied, bay complex in the mouth, sustained by a strong acidity. Very long finish. Great qpr at 16,5€

    Che bella bottiglia, finalmente bevuta con calma. Giallo dorato. Naso di idrocarburi, patè di olive, miele, cera d'api, albicocca disidratata. In bocca è di corpo esile, ma complesso sorretto da una bella spina acida. Finale molto lungo

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  • Bottiglia davvero particolare.naso di idrocarburi, sembra quasi un riesling. Bocca molto elegante e finemente ossidativa. Finale piuttosto lungo

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  • I've had 4-5 bottles of this since its release about 4 years ago and this bottle was by far the best I've had. I'd say it was the best Gravonia I've had to date. The nose was really unchanged with walnut skin, almond oil, apricot, and honey but there was a dramatic shift in presence. In previous bottles there taste was fairly robust up front, thin in the middle, and bitter/acidic/flavorful finish. Now it is seemless and delicious. Yes there are lots of flavors of dry butterscotch, orange zest, raw cashews and plenty of acidity but my favorite part is how it's so balanced and elegant at this point. And there is half a bottle left to see what a day in the fridge will do.

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  • I love this stuff. Complex aromas and flavors of sherried marcona almonds, raw cashews, orange peel, honey and old oak. Rich, waxy mid-palate and a super dry finish.

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  • This one needs air to open up and would benefit from more bottle age. Fairly deep sherried nose, burnt orange peel, butterscotch, old oak tannins, and a very dry finish. Good overall balance. The body is noticeably thin but filled out somewhat after 2 hours. I really like this style. Get more.

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  • Big nose: oak, citrus, marzipan. Nice richness. Very good.

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