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Lopez de Heredia

Lopez de Heredia

The Riojas of Lopez de Heredia stand second to none.  Widely regarded as the top of their class, staunchly traditional, and absolutely saturated with terroir, not only of their region, but their own cellar, which is over 150 years old, and is home to decades and decades of library wines.. There is nothing like a Lopez Rioja, and nobody has come close to imitating.  They are a force.

The wines are embarrassingly hard to get now, and todays offer features newly released Tondonia reds and whites, Gravonia white, and older 750s and magnums of library release Tondonia reservas. All of these wines have garnered scores well into the high 90s from the critics.  

 
 

 

There are classic wineries, and then there's Lopez de Heredia in Rioja. This is one of the world's greatest wineries, full stop. I can't think of any producer more emblematic of the region they come from than Lopez. For lovers of old-school Rioja, or those who want to learn what makes Rioja great, Lopez stands head and shoulders above the rest. Rioja has seen wild change over the past few decades, with huge investment from around the globe and an influx of modern, oak-driven wines geared toward the international market. But in the cellars of Lopez de Heredia, tradition and history live on untouched.

Nothing is rushed at Lopez. Even their Cubillo Crianza, the youngest of their wines, is aged for eight years, well beyond the required – and most common – aging period of a year and a half. This practice extends all the way up to their Gran Reserva, which are often aged for over 15 years before being released. A Lopez de Heredia red is Rioja at the height of its powers: earthy, herbaceous, soulful, and worthy of further aging. There's simply nothing else like them.

I recall once being at a seminar led by a winemaker from a different Rioja estate in which he was mentioning the classic wineries of the region. Someone said "Lopez de Heredia," and the winemaker responded, "Ah, Lopez is more than classic. Lopez is Lopez." This perfectly encapsulates what makes Lopez de Heredia so special: their wines often feel like the last holdouts of Rioja's longest winemaking traditions, since their founding in 1877. Since then, little has changed. You won't find any gleaming new presses or optical sorters, only the same casks and barrels the wines have been aged in seemingly forever.

Of their three vineyards, the crown jewel is Tondonia, which also happens to be there largest vineyard with the oldest vines. The Cubillo, is their smallest, and just happens to be their entry-level, and these days is highly allocated.  The small amount of white wines they make, are aged to a Crianza and Reserva level, and are some of the most sungular white wines you can ever experience in your life. Their Vineyards are farmed organically and fermentations proceed only with indigenous yeasts. The only addition any wine sees is a touch of sulfur.

Some wines arrive Friday, others are pre-order and arrive in 1-3 weeks. To order, please follow the link below for more info on the wines.  Wines are very limited with just bottles available of most.  Please respond to this email with any questions or call us at 607-319-0500
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