Lopez de Heredia - Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rosado 2012
López de Heredia is located in Haro, in La Rioja, Spain. Its story started in the middle of the 19th century when French negociants visited the Rioja region to find alternative sources of quality grapes to transform into wine, since the phylloxera epidemic had decimated their vineyards. The founder, Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic student in the art of winemaking, followed closely in their footsteps. Around 1877, he began the design and construction of the complex that is today known as the López de Heredia Bodega, the oldest in Haro and one of the first three bodegas in the Rioja region. The estate produces 4 main cuvées; the famous Viña Tondonia (100 hectares), Viña Cubillo (from the vineyard called Viña Cubillas of 24 hectares with parcels named “La Encina” and “La Monja”), Viña Bosconia (15 hectares of El Bosque vineyard) and Viña Gravonia (from the Viña Zaconia vineyard of 24 hectares).
The grapes are harvested by hand with a curved knife called “Corquete”, ensuring that the grape skin is not broken. Red grapes are destemmed before going to the fermentation vats, while white grapes are crushed, thus immediately releasing their juice. With rosés, the process is mixed: the skins remain in contact with the must during a period of maceration (soaking) so that some of the colour can be absorbed, but are then removed before fermentation begins. The must is fermented in large oak vats: the biggest (with a capacity of 240 hectolitres) are for red wine, while the smaller vats (60 hectolitre capacity) are for whites. This second fermentation takes place in Bordeaux-type oak barrels, and can take up to five or six months. Once wines have been through both fermentation processes, and the sediment or lees have been removed, the wine is then ready to be aged in 225-litres Bordeaux size barrels. The wines then spend a minimum of 6 months ageing in cellars before being released for sale.
The very unusual Gran Reserva Rosado, which is one of the few rosés in the world bottled after long aging of 4 years in barrels. It is a blend of Garnacha (60%), Tempranillo (30%) and Viura (10%). 2012 is a vintage rated "Very Good" by the board of DOC Rioja. The 2012 vintage was constrained by the scarcity of rainfall (25% lower than normal). It was a particularly dry year until late in the fall. This low rainfall and the high spring and summer temperatures have led to a very significant progress in the harvest. Although the rains that started on October 11 meant that the harvest continued until October 18, five days later than the 2011 harvest, it is still an early date for usual in Haro. The harvest began on October 4 with the white grape varieties. These same conditions led to a significant reduction in the number and weight of the bunches and, consequently, the final production was lower than that expected in a normal year. The quality of the wines, both white and red, was very good thanks to a magnificent sanitary stage and a good balance between alcohol content and polyphenols. The wines continue to evolve favorably in terms of freshness and finesse for its good aptitude for aging in barrels and its long aging potential.
Grape varieties: 60% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo, 10% Viura
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