Lopez de Heredia Vina Cubillo Rioja Crianza 2017 (750ml)

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Producer	Lopez de Heredia
Country	Spain
Region	Rioja
Varietal	Tempranillo
Vintage	2017
Sku	13647
Size	750ml

 

WA

93

Tje Lopez de Heredia Vina Cubillo Rioja Crianza appears a clear, bright ruby color in the glass. The nose is fresh and slight aroma to licorice with consistent texture and persistent aroma. The palate is smooth, fresh and persistent.

Perfect with all meat dishes, tapas and charcutery.

A blend of Tempranillo (65%), Garnacho (25%), Mazuelo and Graciano, the rest, all from our own vineyards. Aged for 3 years, being racked twice per year and fined with fresh egg whites.

Viña Cubillo wines come from the vineyard called Viña Cubillas, some 4 km away from the bodega, which as with all of the other vineyards, was bought by our founder. Historically these wines were called "Special Harvest".  Vina Cubillas has an altitude of 410 m, and the vines have an average age of 40 years. The soil is from the terciary age and is a mixture of clay and limestone. Viña Cubillas covers 24 ha, of which 16 ha are under Tempranillo, 4 ha Garnacha, 2 ha Mazuelo and 2 ha Graciano.

With parcels called "La Encina" and "La Monja", Viña Cubillas is a vineyard that produces exceptional wines sold as Crianza. These wines could be easily be marketed as Gran Reservas due to the exceptional combination of soil, aspect and vines.

The super bargain of the portfolio has to be the red 2017 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza, which this year shows more development and faster aging, with more tertiary notes than the other reds from 2013 and 2014 that I tasted next to it. The frost of April 2017 killed 100% of the vegetal mass at Cubillo, and the grapes they picked were exclusively from the second generation, therefore fruit that ripened in a much shorter cycle, as the harvest was also earlier. It has notes of damp earth, mushrooms, truffles and forest floor, dry leaves and decayed flowers and herbs. It has a polished palate and is medium-bodied, with mostly resolved tannins, and it feels a little lighter. But it's still worth it. It was produced with a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo from vines averaging 53 years of age. It fermented in their old oak vats and matured in used American oak barrels for three+ years. It has 13.5% alcohol, a 3.0 pH and 6.5 grams of acidity. 90,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2023. Anticipated Maturity: 2024-2036