Way back when Dan knew nothing of wine, his boss asked him to decant a bottle of R. López de Heredia Bosconia 1947 (López de Heredia is the producer; Bosconia is the vineyard.). After three hours (and after consuming several glasses of lesser wine), he asked, “Isn’t three hours a little long for a ’47?” “You know nothing of these wines,” he said curtly. “Get a fresh glass.”
Mind blown. Copious, explosive tertiary qualities. Dried plum, cherry, rose hip, autumn leaves, something from grandma’s armoire, and an iron spear through the nose. In my mouth, vibrant acidity, silkiness, cocoa powder and more. “If you think any wines age better than Rioja, particularly López, you are dead wrong,” he said.
During the next few years, we tasted dozens of old López from ’64 to ’05. There is something odd about Tempranillo (occasionally blended with Garnacha, graciano and Mazuelo varieties), and how it melds with American oak, growing softer and more expressive. We came to be believers. This wine ages better than anything we’ve experienced, and López de Heredia is some of the best aging of them all.
But why is Rioja (particularly López, arguably the soul of the region) so special? Rioja (red and white) is a truly dynamic beverage. Recently we decided to push the envelope and picked up a bottle of López Tondonia’01 and López Gravonia ’03 (a white) to drink with—get this—soba noodles topped with sardines, anchovies and kimchee. Tremendous. We had never experienced kimchee accentuating the fruit of a red, and the white paired seamlessly. We were told about these pairings, but we had never taken them so far before.
The wines of López de Heredia not only age like Sophia Loren, they have the flexibility of a Bikram yogi. Here, two of our picks:
R. López de Heredia Viña Gravonia 2003 Viura On the nose, toasted marshmallow and creamy lemon curd. The palate is silky and rich, displaying even-handed acid throughout and umami qualities. This may be a gateway wine for California chardonnay drinkers who crave more complexity.
R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia 2001 Tempranillo blend
This wine does best in a decanter. The nose and first taste held very distinct notes of Baker’s chocolate and iron, but the wine was otherwise incredibly subdued. Three hours later, the wine is showing overripe plum, brisk black cherry notes with touches of herbes de Provence. This wine is rogue, precise and an absolute overachiever when one considers price point.
For those looking to cellar, both of these wines have at least 20 years in front of them, and the Tondonia may have many more than that. Both wines available at The Wine & Cheese Place.
This article appears in August 2013.