This is a unique white Rioja crianza and, altogether, a unique wine which, most unusually in a modern society with an ever-increasing need for rapid cash flow, is only released when it is ready to drink.
This wine has spent no less than 4 years in old barriques and then roughly the same amount of time in bottle before being released for sale – far, far longer ageing than the law requires. In fact, with a very comfortable margin to the minimum requirements, the wine could have been released as a gran reserva.
Viña Gravonia is a single-vineyard wine made from 100% viura from very old bush vines. The poor soils of the Gravonia vineyard, with limestone and marl, have forced the roots deep into the subsoil in search of stable water supplies.
The wine is spontaneously fermented in ancient 6,000-litre oak vats and then aged in old 225-litre American oak barrels from the estate’s own cooperage. No filtration is used. Instead, the wine is racked a couple of times a year and only requires fining, which is carried out in the old-fashioned way with egg whites.
This is a dry, medium-bodied and highly complex white wine which, despite its age, can be enjoyed over many years to come. On the nose and palate it shows intense, ethereal notes of lemon, candied lemon, fresh almonds, beeswax, chamomile, mushrooms, a hint of lanolin, as well as salty, chalky minerals and a balanced acidity that is a pleasant blend of fruit acidity and a discreet volatile touch.
In other words, this is anything but an uncomplicated thirst-quencher, but remember: from time to time, wine is allowed to be complicated and complex, namely when there is time for contemplation. López de Heredia’s white wines are the very essence of ageing aromas – they are relatively indifferent to puppyish fruit. Gravonia develops tertiary aromas faster than Tondonia Blanco Reserva, making this the quickest route to fully mature white wine from this address.
Feel free to open the wine 5–10 hours before drinking it, pour yourself a small tasting glass, and let the rest of the wine slowly reacclimatise to atmospheric air after such a long confinement.
Viña Gravonia will without doubt evolve in the glass, so remember a generous glass and patience. And for heaven’s sake, do not serve the wine too cold: 12–16°C is more than enough for Viña Gravonia – it even has plenty of charm at room temperature.
95 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (Luís Gutierrez)
