Sjælden vin. Få flasker
On that year it rained very little in comparison to a normal average year. June was very cold and as a consequence the budding as well as the fecundation were affected reducing the quantity all over Rioja in general and in our vineyards in particular. Harvest started September 27th with White grapes and October 4th with reds. It lasted until October 20th. The weather conditions during the harvest were perfect and we could harvest grapes in excellent conditions of quality that have developed in exceptional wines with a great capability of ageing and very characteristic of a great cold Rioja vintage.
Tasting note:
Colour: Slightly developed pale gold. Nose: FFresh and aromatic. Complex and developed. Bouquet with aromas of third generation. Taste: Fruity, complex, developed, very fine.
Grape Varieties:
Viura (100%), from our own vineyards.
Ageing period in barrels:
4 years, being racked twice a year and fined with fresh egg whites.
Ageing period in bottle:
Rest, unfiltered, bottled in 75 cl. bottles.
Alcohol Volume:
12,5% Vol.
Total Acidity:
6,5 g/l.
Residual Sugar:
Very Dry.
Gastronomy:
Perfect with all kind of fish; fried, grilled or boiled. Grilled seafood. Well-seasoned white meat. Very nice with pasta too.
The 2014 Viña Gravonia Blanco always smells of the cellar with some mushroomy aromas and flavors, and it’s very classical, with 12.5% alcohol, more vibrant than the 2015 I tasted next to it. To María José López de Heredia, Gravonia has to be very fresh with citrus freshness and some nuttiness but without the bitterness of the aged Tondonia, which they compare with the Carbonieux and such wines from Graves. These are ancient vines and the grapes are pristine. 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2021. They bottled later because of COVID-19, and the extra time was spent mostly in oak vat but maybe some in barrel…
I tasted up to three vintages of the same wine as it has been some time since I tasted them, and I also sampled the forthcoming vintages to be released in early 2023. The next vintage of Gran Reserva will be 2004, when they produced all three wines (the rosé was not produced, of course, it was a year in the hiatus between 2000 and 2008). 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011 and perhaps 2013 (for a sentimental reason, when their father died) will also be Gran Reserva vintages. What I tasted made sense with the character of each vintage—brilliant 2010s; a warm and more evolved 2011; a very good 2012; an atypical and challenging 2013; a cool and balanced 2014; and a warmer and riper 2015. As a bonus track, I tasted (and swallowed) the 2004 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva, and I can tell you I cannot wait for the wine to be released in 2024…
Wine Advocate
