Founded in Haro in 1877, the bodega has long been one of the legends of the Spanish wine world and is regularly ranked among the top three wineries in Spain. The wines are Rioja classics with an appeal that extends far beyond Spain. And the bodega has become famous not because it has emulated the numerous fads that also plague the Rioja region, but as a bastion of tradition, because for Lopez de Heredia this is above all else. Today, the bodega cultivates 170 hectares of vineyards, spread over 4 vineyards. The Vina Tondonia alone covers around 100 hectares, with the remainder divided between the Vina Bosconia, the Vina Gravonia and the Vina Cubillo. The wines are allowed to mature longer in the barrel and in the bottle than almost any other producer, up to three years for the Crianza, around 5-6 years for the Reserva and at least 9 years for the Gran Reserva. The winemaking process also uncompromisingly follows tradition, with fermentation taking place in wooden barrels and no steel tanks in the winding cellars of the bodega. The barrels for storage and ageing all come from the winery's own cooperage and are made from American oak. It is the overall package that makes this bodega so special and unique, or it is this knowledge of the secrets of winemaking that is passed down from generation to generation, as the winery itself puts it. The wines themselves tell the story of Rioja, they are profound, full of finesse and extremely complex, proving time and again what fantastic ageing potential they have. And with an alcohol content of just 12.5%, they are also rather light in the glass. In addition to the red Riojas, there are also extremely remarkable white wines, which mature for up to 6 years, and a rosé wine matured for over 4 years in oak barrels, which is certainly one of the most remarkable of its kind in the world. In terms of originality and stylistic expression, none of these wines from Lopez de Heredia can be compared to anything else and are therefore absolutely unique. And the new Lopez de Heredia tasting pavilion, designed by none other than the world-famous architect Zaha Hadid, proves that tradition and modernity are perfectly compatible.
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