The 2016 Viña Cubillo Crianza from 148-year-old López de Heredia is among the best value reds in the world. It’s this legendary bodega’s ‘entry level’ wine but – thanks to the quality of the vineyard and their tradition of long ageing – it could be classified as a Gran Reserva Rioja! All of this for only R360.
This 9-year-old wine is fresh as a daisy. It’s a red-fruited delight with leather and foresty notes, brilliantly grippy tannins and a vibrant, chalky finish. ‘Surprising, spectacular, elegant, clean and fresh like few vintages before’, says Luis Gutierrez of the Wine Advocate.
The wine comes from the Cubillas vineyard and is a field blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, from 50-year-old vines. The New York Times held a tasting of 20 Rioja Crianzas to uncover the best value wines in tough economic times, and unsurprisingly the Cubillo came out on top. It also made Vine Pair’s list of the 8 best red wines from Rioja.
Cubillas is one of the original parcels bought by founder Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta in the 1900s and sits at 410m – 485m above sea level. The vines grow on clay and limestone soils, and the higher elevation and proportion of clay allow for lighter, fresher wines than the bodega’s Bosconia and Tondonia counterparts.
This is an ethereal red that’s so youthful you can confidently cellar it for another decade. On the other hand, ‘it’s super tasty’ (WA) now, so why wait?
Tasting Notes:
López de Heredia Viña Cubillo Crianza 2016
‘The 2016 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza was surprising, spectacular, elegant, clean and fresh like few vintages before. It was a superb year, with quality, quantity and freshness. It’s quite the opposite from the previous 2015, which was a much warmer and riper year. The 2016s have moderate alcohol and especially the perception of less ripeness (even though the alcohol is very similar). It feels very young, still quite primary. Mercedes explained, “Cubillas, a 24-hectare plot, is a vineyard that could produce Gran Reserva wines. It’s a very good vineyard, but we would miss the Crianza in our range”. In fact, the comment was that this vintage is even a challenge for the Viña Tondonia red “because of its price.” It is indeed a bargain. “But it doesn’t have the finesse of Tondonia,” concluded María José. Anyway, it’s super tasty. It was bottled in November 2022.’ – Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate, 94/100
‘It could be a Gran Reserva,” says María José López de Heredia of a wine that is always sold as a Crianza, partly for historic reasons. Picked late in a cooler vintage, it partners Tempranillo with 20% Garnacha, and 5% each of Graciano and Mazuelo. Earthy, stemmy yet refreshing, it has negligible oak, racy redcurrant and pomegranate fruit and savoury tannins.’ – Tim Atkin MW, Rioja Special Report 2024, 94/100
