Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia Blanco Crianza 2013 (750ML)

96 JS / 93 WA

Dried apple, lemon rind, walnut, praline, dried honeysuckle and clove on the nose. Medium-bodied with tangy acidity. Bright and vibrant feel, balancing the rich, waxy layers of dried fruit and spice. Saline undertones. Some nougat and yogurt, too. Long. Drink now or hold.—James Suckling 

The 2013 Viña Gravonia Blanco comes from a rainy, cool and challenging vintage when the grapes didn't reach the perfect ripeness the 2012 (that I tasted next to it) displayed. It has citrus notes (orange peel, yuzu) and an herbal twist, balsamic with the unmistakably white López de Heredia aroma of mushrooms that you smell as soon as you enter their ancient cellars. It's quite pale, and the palate is sharp and austere, quite light but with the pungent flavors and a long and tasty finish. This is a relatively simple wine, especially when compared with the others. 18,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2018 after four years in American barrels.-- Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate