Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend

vintage 2013 | Awesome. Cinnamon. Truffle. Elegance and refinement.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish/brick rim.

Beautiful nose with red and black fruits, oak, chocolates, vanilla, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn, licorice and black tea.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, chocolates, tobacco leaf, bitter herbs, peppercorn, earth, black tea, licorice and vegetables.

Tangy finish with round tannins and pomegranates.

This 13 year old Rioja Reserva is still too young. A little unbalanced, and needs another 5 years in the bottle to mature properly.

Needed a few hours to open up. I gave it 2 hours in the decanter, but it might not have been enough.

Showing good potential but it's not there yet. Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

I've had a few vintages of this wine and it is always better with more age.

Tangy, spicy and a better with food.

A blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. Aged in used American oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$40.

Delicate but lively, wonderful time capsule

Still one of my fave producers of Rioja

Finally talked this dude into drinking.

I don't know, maybe I'm getting old but aged Riojas are starting to taste/feel weighty to me. It's very good. Muddled fruits, resolved tannins, nice and round, leather notes. But somewhat boring. Probably my mood.

92+ points

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90 minutes. The 2004 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart mixed fruit: Blackberries, black cherry, dill, olives, leather, toasted coconut, some vanilla, dried green herbs and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is in a very lovely place. Drink now through 2044. 

The 2001 still slaps

In an awkward spot that suffers by comparison to an amazing mosel troken. Has much that’s delicious, but the taut, stony tertiary flavors are incipient not quite showy.

No idea how old this is. A special Tondonia bottling to support a polio vaccination campaign. Beautiful wine. Does anybody know more about this?

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three days. Consistently enjoyable throughout, but best after several hours of air and through Day 3. The wine pours, a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. No signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with expressive notes of ripe and dried cherry, plums, toasted coconut, fresh dill, cedar chest, and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose however, the fruit is much more tart. The finish is long and tangy. A textbook example of old-school Rioja. Lovely. Drink now with patience and through 2036.