Haro, Rioja: September 2021

Few winemakers in Spain evoke as much authenticity and respect for tradition as Viña Tondonia – López de Heredia. We were granted a chance to tour the winery and discover their oenological philosophy from up close. A fascinating part of the process relies on the cooperage of their own barrels, but also on a deeply symbiotic relationship with the microflora and insects that inhabit the winery.

A historic winemaker of Rioja

Bodegas López de Heredia is one of the region’s oldest and finest winemakers. Initiated in 1877 by Rafael López de Heredia, the winery sprang to life amidst the economic turbulence caused by the devastating impact of phylloxera on French vineyards. Rafael, an astute observer and diligent scholar of the French vintners, followed their methods and meticulously orchestrated the creation of this bodega.

Between 1913 and 1914, parallel to cementing his industrial installations, Rafael planted Viña Tondonia, thus crafting the winery’s most recognised brand. Sprawled along the right bank of the River Ebro, this splendid huge vineyard spans over 100 hectares, teeming with the quintessential grapes of Rioja. Supplementing Viña Tondonia, three other vineyards, Viña Cubillo, Viña Bosconia and Viña Zaconia (the vineyards that produce the whites Viña Gravonia). Together, these extend across 170 hectares, yielding an average annual output of approximately 800 tons of grapes.

The facilities that are dedicated to preserve this legacy and all the viticultural and vinification methods of that era. With a total built area of over 19,000 squared metres, the underground cellar stretches up to 200 metres long and over 10 metres deep. Carved into a monumental block of sandstone, it harbours a staggering 12,900 Bordeaux barrels. The winemaking process initiated by Rafael López de Heredia continues today, following the departure of French vintners and the resulting evolution in trade policies. For over a century, through four generations, the winery has remained an independent family business, now run by María José López de Heredia, consistently resisting the allure of multinational acquisitions.

Touring the cellars of López de Heredia

The journey through the world-renowned López de Heredia Viña Tondonia winery is akin to stepping into a time capsule, where each corner whispers the chronicles of a wine-rich history, painstakingly preserved for generations.

Our tour began with the Zaha Hadid Pavilion, a stunning and noteworthy structure, erected to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the winery. This architectural marvel houses a 1910 modernist stand which once showcased Viña Tondonia’s wines at the International Exposition of Brussels in 1910. It was immaculately restored based on archival photographs and blueprints, thanks to the family’s commitment to preserving its rich history. Here, any visitors can purchase wine without any reservations. If you are looking for that elusive Viña Tondonia Rosado, here you can get it if you buy it alongside its brothers Gravonia, Bosconia, Tondonia and Cubillo.

We then moved to the Bodega Blondeau, one of the oldest buildings on the premises, named after a French neighbour to the founder, Rafael López de Heredia. This space is where the primary fermentations of the red wines take place, within 35 oak vats of various sizes and origins. The building, facing Northwest to take advantage of the region’s winds that enable natural cooling to control the fermentation temperature.

The exploration continued towards the colossal Pavilion No 1, where we marvelled at the extensive rows of oak barrels stretching as far as the eye could see. Amidst these barrels and large vats, which range from 60 to 240 hectolitres in size, the wines are fermented and aged using entirely natural, artisanal methods, underscoring the winery’s fidelity to tradition.

López de Heredia stands as the only winery in Spain that persists with the labour-intensive, artisanal craft of manufacturing every single cask used for their wines. The oak is sourced in its raw form from the Appalachian Mountains in the United States. The winery engages in the entire coopering process, from sourcing the timber to assembling the barrels. This gives them control over every parameter of the process, including sawing, drying/seasoning, and toasting (always medium). Their approach to ageing (‘crianza’) and maturation also echoes their deep-seated philosophy of adhering to their own traditional practices. A blend of  barrel ages is employed during this crianza, with new barrels accounting for 10%, medium-aged (10 years) at 50%, and the remainder boasting an age of over 10 years.

A walk past the cooperage led us to the moist, slippery mouldy stairs which descend towards the Bodega Vieja and the Bodega Nueva. The Bodega Nueva, or the New Winery, is home to the numerous barrels filled with wine in various stages of maturation. The Tondonia Reservas stay here for six years, the Gran Reservas, ten. The white Gravonia is aged for four years, whereas the red Viña Cubillo  three years. The interior of the Bodega Nueva, kept at a cool, stable temperature and consistent humidity, fosters the perfect environment for the wine to mature slowly, with care and patience.

Next, at the Bodega Vieja, bottles are stored into be aged in the dim, musty halls of Bodega Vieja, surrounded by a patina of ancient moulds that provide an essential, consistent humidity. This ageing process under controlled conditions is a hallmark of the López de Heredia commitment to consistency, as it helps them to cultivate the complex tertiary notes their wines are known for. The red Gran Reservas, for instance, are sometimes aged in the bottle for 15 years prior to release. Not many producers in the world do this due to the large capital sunk into their inventory. But the ones that do, tend to be great, like Tondonia or Château Rayas.

Lastly, there is El Cementerio, or the Cemetery, an aptly named site that captures the winery’s rich heritage and evolution. Despite its ominous name, El Cementerio is not a place of final rest, but an archive of the winery’s legacy. It holds wines from various vintages, arranged in a unique ‘niches’ structure, much like a genealogical tree. This part of the winery is a treasure trove of historical vintages blanketed by a thick layer of mould. Special customers can extraordinarily order some of these older bottles. These are delivered to them with the full coating of mould, as though it was a “sealing wax” of that proves its age.

Tasting the wines

As we ascended back towards the light, our last stop was the tasting room – another restored exhibit space, based on an old exhibitor room shop in Bilbao. There, we were invited to experience the end product of this family’s unwavering dedication to their craft.

In general, Bosconia has firmer tannins than Tondonia, more savoury and slightly more austere.

Tondonia and the belief in symbiosis

One of the most distinct impressions that one gathers visiting López de Heredia is lack of hygiene in the cellars. Compared to the New World wineries that boast the latest technology and immaculate facilities (see photo of Occidental wines below), López de Heredia seems to embrace dirt and disorder. However, this impression is misleading, as the winery follows a similar philosophy to Château Rayas, where a symbiotic relationship with various micro-organisms and insects ensures stability and equilibrium in the vinification and ageing processes.

At López de Heredia, all the grapes from their vineyards undergo fermentation in oak vats, some of them over 150 years old. A notable feature of these vats lies in the roughness of their walls. Over the years, they accumulate residues of tartaric salts and other compounds, forming a protective barrier that provides the perfect habitat for yeasts. In this form, yeast spores lie dormant from year to year, coming alive to drive the fermentation process. This allows the winery to nurture its unique microbial flora, eschewing the need for industrially produced yeasts that could otherwise compromise the authenticity and distinctive character of the wines.

Nestled in the underground cellar, in the Cementary and in the Bodega Vieja, bottles and walls are coated with thick sticky moulds with the prime objective to maintain a constant humidity. In fact, the air has a slight musty smell, reminiscent of an ancient cave, which we can now distinguish in the wines too. Dense cobwebs occupy every corner, providing a home for an army spiders that eliminate any other insect pests that could harm the barrels or the wine.

Contrary to initial impressions, this seemingly disordered environment engenders a precious equilibrium, a beautifully orchestrated dance of nature and tradition that has held steadfast over a century. Far from being rustic, this relationship with the microcosmos is a cornerstone of Tondonia’s winemaking.