Viña Gravonia Blanco 2015

Aromas of dried apples, wax, blanched nuts, and lemon curd follow through to a medium to full body with serious density and zesty fruit. Lovely waxy finish. Very tangy and pointed at the end. Classic white Rioja. Aged for about four years in barrel and a few years in bottle. Drink now or hold.

Gravonia is "only" a Crianza, but such things are irrelevant at López de Heredia. Produced with 100% Viura, it's the "only mono-varietal wine in the bodega", according to Mercedes López de Heredia. Mature, waxy, nutty and layered, it's still very much alive, with a finish of dried honey and citrus peel. 2023-32

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...