Originally published on November 11, 2008.
Oh no, the cat is starting to get out of the bag. Eric Asimov from the NYTimes just wrote about Lopez de Heredia. Sure, everybody seems to write about this particular old school Rioja producer, but they usually go on about the reds. Mr. Asimov writes about their whites. Luckily, he spends more time writing about chicken (fingers and breasts) and football than he does about the wine, but still, the cat is out!
I tried some of the older whites at a tasting and fell so in love that I bought a small stash of vintages from the 80s. I’m a sucker for this style of wine – slightly oxidized, a bit of sherry-like tang coming through, a little bit of nuttiness, almost some waxy notes. Not much in terms of fruit, but somehow, the wines remain incredibly fresh and vibrant. While more exotic, Chateau Musar whites somehow seem to have something in common with LdH blancos. Intrepid Wine Company’s 2005 Asprinio also manages to balance an impression of weight and richness with incredible freshness. I have no idea if this is typical of the Asprinio grape – I’ve only ever had one in my life.
These are all wines for people who say they don’t like white wines. They’re worlds away from Piont Grigio, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, which may be why they’re so difficult to describe. Even most wine geeks struggle to find words for these weirdly wonderful whites. “Beeswax” may not sound very appealing, but you’ll have to trust me…it is.
Or don’t trust me…then I can keep the wines for myself!