2017 R. Lopez de Heredia, Rioja, Gravonia Crianza Blanco

R. Lopez de Heredia, a beacon of traditional Rioja Alta winemaking since 1877, crafts their Gravonia Crianza Blanco from 100% estate-grown Viura, emphasizing minimal intervention and extended barrel aging to yield wines of profound longevity. The estate's organically managed, bush-trained vineyards on clay-limestone soils around Haro provide the foundational concentration and mineral character for this age-worthy white. The 2017 vintage, marked by a severe spring frost and subsequent drought, resulted in a low-volume, high-quality harvest with notably early ripening. This challenging growing season yielded wines with inherent density and a somewhat broader texture, yet Gravonia's customary four years in house-made American oak barrels, coupled with its natural acidity, ensures a structural profile destined for considerable cellar evolution.