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More wines available from R. Lopez De Heredia
Pre-Arrival
R. Lopez De Heredia Tondonia Gran Reserva 1994
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$251.62
The 1994 Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva has an elegant bouquet with light red cherries, orange blossom, mahogany bureau...
Pre-Arrival
R. Lopez De Heredia Tondonia Gran Reserva 2001
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$226.41
The 2001 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva is the follow-up of the 1995. There is a sense of harmony and elegance, of...
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$521.95
Limpid, brass-tinged yellow-gold. Highly pungent, heady aromas of orange pith, dried peach, iodine, jasmine, honey...
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$114.95
A really fascinating rosé with light plum, walnut and hints of toffee. Medium-to full-bodied with a light cream and...
Pre-Arrival
R. Lopez De Heredia Tondonia Reserva 2003
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$52.15
Bright ruby-red. Ripe cherry, vanilla and floral pastilles on the smoky, oak-spiced nose. Sweet and supple on the...
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Winery
R. Lopez De Heredia
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Tempranillo
Without any doubt, the flagship grape varietal of Spain is the Tempranillo. This fine grape varietal has since been grown in several other countries around the world, and continues to be respected and admired for its deep ruby red color, its strong tannins, and the complex and delicious flavors it carries so well. Plum, vanilla, leather, tobacco and herb are just some of the characteristic flavors found in this black skinned grape varietal, and its power and fullness of features makes it a common grape for use in blended wines of exceptional quality. Tempranillo grapes thrive best in regions with a combination of bright, hot sunshine, and cooling breezes, where they can ripen fully and then be aged in oak barrels to mellow, become more rounded and allow their fascinating nature to come forward.
Region: La Rioja
La Rioja is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of Spain's wine regions, and the deliciously drinkable, complex and fascinating single red wines and blended wines of this special region have gone down in history as some of the finest on earth. La Rioja is located in the north of Spain, close to the Atlantic coast, but shielded from the cold and wet weather by the expansive Cantabrian mountains. As such, the climatic conditions in La Rioja are ideal for ripening the Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes used in the production of the fine red wines the region is famous for. Wineries in La Rioja take great pride in their heritage and traditions, and the winemakers of the region employ a range of time honored techniques alongside more modern methods to make the most of their superb crops each year.
Country: Spain
Ever since the Phoenicians and Romans brought their knowledge of vine cultivation to Spanish soils, the country's culture has grown alongside wine production, with wine being a vital part of Spanish identity and Spanish traditions. Each region of Spain has a wine quite distinct from the others, and it is produced by smallholders and families as much as it is by large companies and established wineries. From the relatively mild and lush regions of La Rioja to the arid plateaus that surround Madrid, grapes are grown in abundance for the now booming Spanish wine industry, and new laws and regulations have recently been put in place to keep the country's standards high. By combining traditional practices with modern technology, Spanish wineries are continuing to produce distinctive wines of great character, flavor and aroma, with the focus shifting in recent decades to quality over quantity.