2004 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco

Lopez de Heredia was founded in 1877 by Don Rafael Lopez de Heredia, a Spaniard who studied winemaking in Bordeaux. When he noticed French winemakers arriving in Rioja to plant new vineyards after theirs had been ruined by Phylloxa, Don Rafael decided to start his own winery in Haro, in Rioja. Today the estate is run by the family’s fourth generation, and it is known as one of Spain’s most venerable and consistently excellent producers. Known for its Tempranillos and red blends, the estate also makes white and rose wines. Though admired for its traditional approach to winemaking, it is worth noting that the winery’s new tasting room is a futuristic building completed in the last decade by architect Zaha Hadid, one of the world’s most celebrated and forward-thinking designers. Wine Spectator has noted that “The wines of R. Lopez de Heredia define traditional Rioja, and they set the standards by which the region’s modern reds must be judged.”

Ribera del Duero is, in the words of wine writer Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson, “the modern red wine miracle of northern Spain.” In 2012 Wine Enthusiast magazine named it the international wine region of the year. The appellation is a high, rocky plateau in north/central Spain that follows the Duero River for 60 miles before the river passes into Portugal, where it becomes the famous Douro River, then flows into the Atlantic Ocean. There are more than 60,000 vineyard acres in the appellation and only red wines are produced under appellations regulations. Low rainfall, hot days, many hours of sunlight and harsh winters produce grapes of great depth and flavor. Ribera de Duero’s reputation owes much to Vega Sicilia, a 150-year old estate known both for its excellent traditional red wines and its willingness to innovate with the times. Tempranillo, known locally as Tinto Fino, is the dominant red grape in the appellation, and it is often blended with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec or Merlot. The highly acclaimed Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez, world famous for its Tinto Pesquera, is also in Ribera del Duero. The appellation status was awarded in 1982.