In Rioja, few wines remain true to the philosophy of the great classics: old vineyards, long ageing and a patience that defies today’s pace. From the terraces surrounding San Vicente de la Sonsierra, one of the most admired areas for growing Tempranillo, comes Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva 2016, crafted to endure. A vintage marked by exceptional freshness, almost seven years of winemaking and an ageing potential that make it a faithful reflection of Rioja’s historic greatness.
Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva 2016 represents an increasingly exceptional way of understanding Rioja. Born in the historic old-vine terraces of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, one of the most prestigious areas for growing Tempranillo, this wine recaptures the essence of the great age-worthy reds that have made Rioja a world reference. Its patient winemaking, marked by long ageing periods and deep respect for its origin, results in a wine that faithfully expresses the personality of a unique landscape.
Behind this project is Vintae, a Rioja winery group with a presence in some of Spain's most important appellations, such as Navarra, Ribera del Duero, Toro and the territories where Garnacha reigns in Aragón. Their commitment to San Vicente de la Sonsierra responds to a clear conviction: great wines are born in iconic places. For this reason, they chose this historic village, surrounded by ravines and old-vine terraces, to develop a winery that combines modern technology, respect for the vineyard and a vision inspired by the great classics of Rioja.
The foundation of this Gran Reserva is made up of old Tempranillo vines grown on the terraces flanking the course of the Ebro, complemented by Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo. The presence of Graciano, following a traditional Rioja practice, brings tension, freshness and ageing potential to the blend. This is complemented by 30 months of ageing in French and American oak barrels and more than four years of bottle maturation, a process that lasts for almost seven years before reaching the consumer.
The 2016 vintage is considered one of the freshest and most balanced of recent years, a particularly valuable characteristic in a wine designed for long evolution. This natural freshness supports its extraordinary ageing potential and allows it to be enjoyed fully today without giving up a brilliant future in the bottle. Awarded 92 James Suckling points, 92 Vinum points and 90 Decanter World Wine Awards points, Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva 2016 is a true archetype of Rioja's greatness and one of the finest expressions of the neoclassical philosophy that distinguishes the great wines of the appellation.
Consumption features
Pairing
Maridará de maravilla con platos como una caldereta de cordero o solomillo de ternera con salsas de frutos del bosque.
La fruta se maceró durante 10 días, antes de iniciar una fermentación a 25 ºC que buscó preservar la frescura y favorecer una extracción equilibrada. El proceso se llevó a cabo con Tempranillo y Graciano, en una vinificación que apuesta por la expresión limpia de la uva y por una textura pulida, con el hollejo presente durante la maceración para aportar estructura y profundidad.
Aging
Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva 2016 es un rioja clásico y de larga crianza. Tras la vendimia, el vino permanece 30 meses en barricas de roble francés y americano, con un 80% de barrica usada y un 20% nueva, y después madura más de 4 años en botella antes de salir al mercado.
Vineyard
Viticulture
Procedente de viñedos viejos de muy bajo rendimiento, situados sobre los suelos pobres de las terrazas del Ebro en San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva 2016 nace de una viticultura fiel a la tradición riojana y marcada por un cuidado escrupuloso de la viña. La vendimia se realiza a mano para seleccionar la uva en su mejor momento, en una filosofía que busca expresar al máximo el carácter de la tierra y lograr una fruta concentrada, equilibrada y de gran calidad.
Tasting notes
View
Precioso color rojo cereza picota madura con ribete teja, de capa media.
Nose
En nariz muestra con elegancia y complejidad notas de fruta negra madura (arándano, mora) junto con toques de la serie especiada (pimienta, orégano); más tarde aparecen recuerdos de monte bajo y agradables aromas balsámicos de mentol y eucalipto.
Mouth
En boca se muestra redondo, equilibrado, con unas magníficas sensaciones táctiles que tapizan un sedoso paso de boca, en el recorrido gustativo confirma su elegancia en nariz con un tanino noble y bien fundido. Excelente frescura que da longitud y vivacidad. Cierra con un largo y persistente final con nítidos recuerdos de fruta en licor y suaves ecos ahumados y de regaliz.
Creators' opinion
Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva is a brick-red wine with lively notes on the rim that reveal its freshness despite its long ageing in both barrels and bottles. On the nose, it offers a true mosaic of spices, making it enormously complex. It also stands out for a sweeter, more primary background, with notes of ripe fruit compote and an interesting touch of liquorice. It has great persistence on the palate, where it shows velvety tannins resulting from its slow evolution during the long ageing period. The good acidity it retains balances its whole journey across the palate. With an enveloping character, it finishes with a very elegant and harmonious finish.
Winter with adequate rainfall, spring with moderate temperatures, a dry summer and September with rain and higher temperatures than usual. An early harvest made it possible to pick the grapes in very good sanitary conditions.
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.
