Crianza Redefined: Viña Cubillo wines, historically labeled "Special Harvest," originate from the vineyard Viña Cubillas. Sitting at an altitude of 410m, with vines averaging 40 years old, these are no ordinary crianza wines. With their exceptional terroir and extended maturation, they could easily pass as Gran Reservas.
Your Loss, Our Gain: The story of López de Heredia and Rioja begins in the mid-nineteenth century, ironically emerging from French negociants' search for quality grapes during the phylloxera epidemic. Construction began around 1877, giving rise to the iconic bodega—Haro's oldest and one of Rioja's icon producers.
Tasting Note
This is a classic, traditionally styled red Rioja. Gran Riserva's may sit at the top of the hierarchy, but I love crianzas for their balance of fresh fruit and tertiary bottle development. This shows a combination of juicy strawberry and ripe red plum alongside leather and tobacco that's framed by dill and coconut from aging in American oak. There's a fantastic freshness here, which will allow this to slowly evolve in bottle over the next 10+ years. But the tannins are already nicely resolved, so it's hard not to pull the cork now. R. Lopez de Heredia has done it again.