Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend

Started out seeming fade but gained fruit and become more tightly woven with 45mins. A remarkable bottle of wine

Oh you pretty thing.
This puppy went head to head with the 1981 Tondonia and this one blew her out of the water. Tobacco and acidity that hit you straight in the jaw.

Black tea on the nose, palate of dried red cherries. Light and elegant. Fully mature, a little hot on finish. Gran Reserva

WOTN unanimous Absurdly amazing aromas of tobacco, crushed red fruit, tea, leather, etc. ethereal, so special and a steal at $65.

Gran Riserva

Great old Rioja in a good drinking window right now.

Mature Rioja, same age as me.

My original planned contribution for the Spanish blind flight. Popped mid afternoon. Decent fill, but crumbly cork and wine soaked to the top. Nose was good, but extremely austere on the palate. A bit bitter. Checked in on it a couple of times over the afternoon and evening. Got slightly better, but never fleshed out. Nothing like the previous gorgeous bottle a year or so ago.

Slightly flawed 😟

A lovely aged pretty rose nose. Soft and precise but suffers a little in proximity to the others. Lovely, but not amazing