Lopez de Heredia - one of the most venerable producers in Spain– produces traditional, age-worthy Rioja. Their wines are legendary and still made the way they were when the winery was founded over 130 years ago. Following a tradition that has been passed down through generations, their wines are released at least 5-10 years after harvest, which provides added complexity and elegance to their Crianzas and Gran Reservas.
A rarity in Rioja, Lopez de Heredia uses only estate bottled fruit from their prized vineyards- Tondonia, Cubillo, Bosconia, and Zaconia- with the idea that the only way to get the best fruit is to care for the vines themselves. The Tondonia vineyard is their most famous; over 100 hectares, it is situated in a shell-shaped depression on the right bank of the river Ebro, where the most typical Rioja wines are grown. The soil is alluvial clay with a high proportion of limestone. Average vine age is 45 years old and organic farming and natural fermentations are implemented, creating wines that exhibit great terroir. Grapes from Viña Tondonia are always used in making their highest quality wines, with truly exceptional vintages becoming Gran Reservas. The first Reserva was bottled by the founder in 1890; a few bottles of this are still kept in the family wine museum.
The winery itself is a remarkable structure. When D. Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta began building the bodega in the late 1800's, little did he realise that his masterpiece would one day be acknowledged as an example to the rest of the industry of the most perfect combination of buildings and vineyards. Like many medieval masterpieces it is still incomplete. The buildings stand below and above ground, and are a veritable "cathedral to wine". Moving through the vaulted underground corridors and staircases, you find yourself travelling back in time, and the founder's touch can still be sensed in the very stones and fabric of the building.
Wine Advocate 95 "The red flagship 2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva was inspired by the vineyards of the Médoc but produced with local grapes, 70% Tempranillo, 20%
James Suckling 95 "Cubillo is a very focused and quite crisp style of red that has spent three years in barrique and then in larger cask
Tim Atkin 96 "The Bosconia vineyard, which has always been vinified separately at the winery, has more clay in the soil and tends to produce richer,
The Wine Advocate 94 "The 2006 Viña Bosconia Reserva, always more rustic and powerful than the Viña Tondonia, was cropped from a warm and early harvest
Wine Spectator 93 "This distinctive white is delicate yet expressive, with a lean texture carrying lively flavors of dried apple, quince, wildflower, tarragon, and vanilla.
The Wine Advocate 97 "The only current red Gran Reserva is the 1995 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva, the one that is produced exactly the same as
Wine Advocate 92 “The red they say was born to go with tapas and sold in local restaurants is the 2009 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza. 2009
Viura (90%), Malvasía (10%). A legendary white Rioja. Expressive complex and developed aromas of dried fruit, spice and oak yet also displays a pleasing
Wine Advocate 95 " The 1981 Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva has a vibrant nose reminiscent of coeval Burgundy, with scents of citrus peel, orange rind,
Decanter 96 “Traditional Rioja at its ageworthy best, the Tondonia red is a cuvee of Tempranillo with 20% Garnacha and 5% each of Graciano and Mazuelo.
Wine Advocate 94 "A worthy follow up to the 2004 is the 2005 Viña Bosconia Reserva, a wine that they consider the most rustic and powerful
Wine Advocate 93 "The 2004 Vina Bosconia Reserva is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho and the remaining 5% Mazuelo and Graciano aged for five
Wine Spectator 93 TOP 100 2009 "Brioche, chamomile and dried pear flavors are rich and expressive in this polished white. Silky and fresh on the palate,
Wine Advocate 92 "The 2003 Vina Bosconia has another enticing bouquet: hints of cooked meat, hickory, peat and rosemary that is beautifully defined. The palate is
James Suckling 95 "Ripe aromas of dried fruits, plums and prunes. Flowers too. Full body, round and ripe textured tannins. Intense and powerful fruit. Layered. Powerful
Wine Advocate 91+ "The 2007 Viña Cubillo Crianza is the most affordable red. It is a wine that was born to go with tapas and to
Wine Advocate 94 "The 2004 Viña Tondonia Reserva is a completely different story. It is a worthy follower of the 2001, the greatest of the Viña
Wine Advocate 92 "The first of the reds here is the 2008 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza from a cooler vintage that produced some austere and serious
Wine Advocate 94 "The first white I tasted was the 2008 Viña Gravonia Blanco, a true bargain traditional oak-aged Rioja from very old Viura vines (90
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Wine Advocate 94 "The only Gran Reserva rosé of the Rioja appellation (they were waiting for the appellation's back labels, as they have to print them
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James Suckling 96 "A staggering range of aromas, from dried mango and papaya through toasted nuts to dried flowers. Powerful and concentrated, but not at all
James Suckling 94 "Candied-citrus and honeycomb, dried-pear and fresh-almond aromas pour from the glass. Rich and textural, but very dry with a great balance of lively
Lopez de Heredia truly follows the classic adage of the wine industry: "Sell no wine before its time!" The golden standard in traditional Rioja, this
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