A beauty from start to finish. This is the baby from legendary producer Lopez de Heredia, but it stands tall next to far more expensive wines. What this Crianza gives for the price is jaw-dropping. There is so much to enjoy here. Already 8 years old yet fresh as daisy, the Cubillo is kerpow on the nose – ripe fruits like damson plum and ripe red cherries spill over from this fruit forward vintage. But nicely balanced by notes of tobacco and nutmeg with a hint of vanilla and liquorice just adding a seductive sweetness. Dive in and it is silky smooth with the lightest touch of soft tannins and just bursting with fruit. The finish goes on and on. A truly stunning Crianza that shows you dont have to spend a fortune to enjoy a special wine from a very famous producer. This will age for at least a decade but why wait.

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To step back inside theLpez de Heredia winery is to step back in time.Founded in 1877, and little changed since, Lpez de Herediamight not be quite the oldest winery in Rioja, but they are certainly the most tradition bound and least changed.You read a lot of marketing fluff about family winemaking tradition, but at Lpez de Heredia, its real. Maria Jos Lpez de Heredia and her winemaker sister, Mercedes, couldnt care less about wine fashions. They’ve been producing wines in the style their great grandfather did, where their wines slumber in their deep cellars for many years before release.The quest for perfection is of utmost importance, and no wine is released until it is ready.