Hacienda López de Haro Blanco Reserva 2018
A long-lasting white made from Viura, the essence of Rioja
92 puntos
Decanter World Wine Awards
Rioja has been putting a special focus on its white wines for some years now – in fact some people are even talking about a ‘second golden age’ for Rioja whites. Hacienda López de Haro Blanco Reserva 2018 displays the classic style of the long-lasting wines made from Viura – a grape variety that’s enhanced by a small amount of other native varieties in this wine. It was produced by the Vintae group, whose wines are never a letdown and whose Rioja firm is based in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, the mecca for quality wines.
General features
Type of wine
Region
Type of barrel
Chiefly eastern European barrels and a few made of French and American oak
Type of bottle
Bordeaux
Barrel aging time
18 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
12.5
General Information
Hacienda López de Haro Blanco Reserva 2018 is made from Viura – the star ingredient of white Rioja wines – enhanced with a touch of Malvasía, Tempranillo Blanco, Garnacha Blanca and Turruntés. It comes from a selection of plots planted with old vines (about 40 years) and a few younger plots, located in Sonsierra and Alto Najerilla. The grapes were picked by hand from 18 to 26 September.
At the winery the grapes were macerated for 24 hours before undergoing gentle pressing and controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The resulting white wine was aged for 18 months in mainly eastern European oak barrels and a few made of French and American oak. After bottling the wine was matured at the winery for at least 3 years before its release.
Whites are all the rage – the statistics show they’re on the rise – and boosting their production is a great development opportunity for Rioja. That’s why more and more wineries in the region are including them in their product ranges. Vintae’s Rioja-based winery made Hacienda López de Haro Blanco Reserva 2018.
Founded in 2001, Hacienda López de Haro is based in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, probably the most iconic grape-growing area in Rioja. This firm is one of the latest to be established by the Vintae group and is characterised by its combination of traditional processes and cutting-edge winemaking. It owns 95 hectares of vineyards and controls a further 450, mostly old vines that yield excellent-quality grapes, and produces subtle, balanced wines.
Creators' opinion
Appearance: Notable for its golden hues that denote a long maturation period. Medium-high pigmentation with a special brightness resulting from its liveliness and some greyish hues in the rim.
Nose: Very delicate and intense and particularly complex. Over time the primary floral notes of the grapes have blended with the more complex scents of fallen leaves and vanilla from barely toasted oak barrels. All these aromas are further enhanced by the sweet and creamy notes from its long maturation in the bottle, plus the characteristic notes of honey from the Malvasía variety. Subtle fresh background notes and undertones of aromatic plants typical of grapes grown in the cold highlands of Rioja.
Palate: Notable for its acidity throughout. Shorter on mid-palate with an endless finish, this is a good example of the iconic fine wines of Rioja. Austere on the attack but highly elegant, it’s a wine that makes your mouth water constantly, creating a pleasing silky sensation. The complexity of this classic ends with hints of aniseed and mineral touches in the finish.
The winery
Located on a hill in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in the heart of Rioja Alta, Bodega Hacienda López de Haro (formerly Bodega Classica) rises above a true sea of vineyards nourished by the Ebro River. The Riojan Sonsierra is an area situated on the southern side of the Sierra de Cantabria and Toloño, which protect it from the cold and humid winds of the Cantabrian Sea. Its weather conditions, with more rainfall in winter than during the rest of the year and winds channeled through the Ebro Valley, make it an optimal area for vine cultivation. Its rugged terrain, with clay-limestone soils that are highly drained, is perfect for the tempranillo variety.
At Bodega Hacienda López de Haro (D.O.Ca. Rioja), the goal is to respect traditional winemaking methods, so the fermentation tanks (ranging from 15,000 to 35,000 liters) have very wide openings to mimic the traditional winemaking in open vats. This allows for easier punch-downs to better work the cap. The winery has a stock of nearly 5,000 barrels, three-quarters of which are French oak and one-quarter American oak. French oak aligns with the style of wines produced at Bodega Hacienda López de Haro, as it better preserves the fruit and the distinctive character of the varieties most used in the López de Haro collection: tempranillo, garnacha, and graciano. The winery manages 95 hectares of its own vineyards and controls an additional 450 hectares.
The latest recognition for the wines from this winery comes from Master of Wine Elizabeth Gabay, the world's leading British expert on rosé wines, who selected Classica Gran Reserva 2012 as the Best Rosé in the World in her report The Rosé Report 2023.