I Love Spanish Wines

I started modestly collecting wine about 4 years ago, and during that time I was looking to get some age worthy bottles at modest prices. After tasting, reading, and learning more and more about wine, it became clear that Spain, and in this case, Rioja specifically were producing world class, age worthy wines that were loved by consumers and critics alike, and for prices that were very reasonable compared to the products coming out of France and other areas.

It started out with La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza which introduced me to the beautifully bold red rioja, with all of its American Oak goodness. From there I gradually drifted into their nicer bottles of Gran Reserva 904, and then everything changed when I tried my first Blanco from Lopez de Heredia. It was a 2011 Vina Gravonia, and i had never had anything like it before. I paid $37 for that bottle, and ever since, I have been buying anything Blanco from LdH that I can find at a reasonable price.

Flash forward 4 years and I have about 250 bottles tucked away. From grocery store stuff, all the way up to my most coveted bottles (one of them pictured above, the 2004 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco). My tastes have changed so much in the 4 years i've spent collecting and learning about wines, but my fascination for Rioja has never faltered!

Tasting notes: ( I drank these wines over the past few months)

2015 Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia: This is the most fresh and approachable blanco bottling from Lopez de Heredia but it still has all the stuffing. Bright citrus fruits, salinity, with mouthwatering acidity, but it also has this waxy/nutty/oily mouthfeel going on. Singular, and expressive. This delivers so much enjoyment!

2005 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 905: This is explosive right now with rich red and black fruit at center stage and clearly developing some tertiary elements of leather, olive, and old books. People talk about beautifully aged Rioja, and if you want to experience that, find one of these bottles! There's still so much life left in this, but if you want to experience the fruit and the developing tertiary characteristics, this is the total package.

2001 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Tinto: Sour cherry fruit, salinity, mushroom, forest floor, and olive. An elegant and lively wine with mouthwatering acidity and a finish that goes on and on. Being a total geek for Lopez de Heredia, I really enjoyed this bottle, however i do think this will benefit from more time in bottle for it to totally come together! I am confident that these bottles will easily outlive me. But I have no regret for opening this. This was my first Gran Reserva tinto from Lopez de Heredia!

2004 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco: Where do I begin with this. This was just absolutely mind blowing. Lemon, Pineapple, citrus, nutty, oily, waxy, butterscotch. A lot going on here but this definitely fits the bill of a LdH Blanco. I’m blown away by the way this walks the line between richness while still staying lively. The mouthfeel is rich almost slightly viscous and coats the mouth but right when you think this might be overdone, the acidity punches through and takes it to a whole new level. The finish goes on for minutes. This is incredible stuff, and easily the best bottle of wine I have ever had!

My love for Spanish wines is large! What areas/producers do you guys feel the same excitement towards?