R. 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. Drink date: 2024-2032. Score – 94. (Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com, Feb. 29, 2024)