R. López de Heredia
Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend
La Rioja, Spain
Blend of mostly Tempranillo with about equal amounts of Garnacho, Graciano and Manzuelo, deep Ruby with a graceful bouquet of berry fruits, cigar box spice with fresh earthy tones, a traditional Rioja, still reticent. On the silky smooth palate, elegant with layers of flavors of ripe blackberry and cherry, tobacco, smoky cedar, dark fruit, vanilla spice, very well balanced with fine soft tannins and a clean structure ending with a nice long chalky earthy character. Delicious! Still has room to age.
Blend of mostly Tempranillo with about equal amounts of Garnacho, Graciano and Manzuelo, deep Ruby with a graceful bouquet of berry fruits, cigar box spice with fresh earthy tones, a traditional Rioja, still reticent. On the silky smooth palate, elegant with layers of flavors of ripe blackberry and cherry, tobacco, smoky cedar, dark fruit, vanilla spice, very well balanced with fine soft tannins and a clean structure ending with a nice long chalky earthy character. Delicious! Still has room to age.
Feb 29th, 2024
A pretty color of ruby, with a wide brick/ reddish rim.
Full bodied and elegant.
Dry on the palate with medium acidity.
Showing red currants, plums, cherries, wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.
Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 15 year old Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now. Showing nice complexity at this point.
Still young and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. A very tasty aged Rioja, and a good food wine.
Robert Parker 95 points.
I Had this vintage a year ago, and it feels pretty much the same.
A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. Aged in used American oak barrels for 6 years.
13% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$55.
A pretty color of ruby, with a wide brick/ reddish rim.
Full bodied and elegant.
Dry on the palate with medium acidity.
Showing red currants, plums, cherries, wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.
Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 15 year old Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now. Showing nice complexity at this point.
Still young and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. A very tasty aged Rioja, and a good food wine.
Robert Parker 95 points.
I Had this vintage a year ago, and it feels pretty much the same.
A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. Aged in used American oak barrels for 6 years.
13% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$55.
Such is the way of life at López de Heredia, the 2010 Reserva was only released to the market last year, while most bodegas are currently extolling the virtues of their 2019s. Well, as a fan of Viña Tondonia, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the 2010, fabled year that it is, having enjoyed many a superb wine from other producers in this vintage.
Decanted for four hours, this wine is effusive from the glass, with a strikingly darker, richer aromatic profile compared to vintages such as 2007 and 2001, and more in line with 2008 - but better still. The oak provides a generous chocolate- and vanilla-laced bouquet that also has blackcurrants, blueberries, cranberries and kirsch, and bouquet garni. The palate is, predictably, very austere at this primal stage, but again has a richer, more rounded mouthfeel to prior vintages that is simply wonderful. Needless to say, this is a benchmark wine for the region and will age rather well, and what a wine it will be in decades to come.
Such is the way of life at López de Heredia, the 2010 Reserva was only released to the market last year, while most bodegas are currently extolling the virtues of their 2019s. Well, as a fan of Viña Tondonia, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the 2010, fabled year that it is, having enjoyed many a superb wine from other producers in this vintage.
Decanted for four hours, this wine is effusive from the glass, with a strikingly darker, richer aromatic profile compared to vintages such as 2007 and 2001, and more in line with 2008 - but better still. The oak provides a generous chocolate- and vanilla-laced bouquet that also has blackcurrants, blueberries, cranberries and kirsch, and bouquet garni. The palate is, predictably, very austere at this primal stage, but again has a richer, more rounded mouthfeel to prior vintages that is simply wonderful. Needless to say, this is a benchmark wine for the region and will age rather well, and what a wine it will be in decades to come.
Shows a seamless integration of dried fruit, earth, balance, elegance and tannin. Showing well at this point and continuing to evolve in the direction of dried berries and plum, tobacco, herbs, iron and fine tannin.
Shows a seamless integration of dried fruit, earth, balance, elegance and tannin. Showing well at this point and continuing to evolve in the direction of dried berries and plum, tobacco, herbs, iron and fine tannin.
Sep 6th, 2023
Rioja tasting 6/21/23!!
Rioja tasting 6/21/23!!
Jul 1st, 2023#AgedWineTuesday.
When in Rioja, drink Rioja.
Reddish in color with a wide reddish rim.
Nose of red fruits with earth and mildew notes.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel. Elegant and restrained.
On the palate red fruits with earth, light wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, light wet leaves and peppercorn.
Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This recent release of this Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now.
A good quality wine. Easy drinking, and a good food wine that I paired with dried meats and crackers.
This 11 year old feels so very young still, and will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years.
Needs time to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too.
A blend of 70% Tempranillo with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. Aged for 6 years in used American oak barrels.
13% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$60.
#AgedWineTuesday.
When in Rioja, drink Rioja.
Reddish in color with a wide reddish rim.
Nose of red fruits with earth and mildew notes.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel. Elegant and restrained.
On the palate red fruits with earth, light wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, light wet leaves and peppercorn.
Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This recent release of this Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now.
A good quality wine. Easy drinking, and a good food wine that I paired with dried meats and crackers.
This 11 year old feels so very young still, and will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years.
Needs time to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too.
A blend of 70% Tempranillo with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. Aged for 6 years in used American oak barrels.
13% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$60.
Finished our tondonia mini-vertical with this gorgeous fully mature ‘02
Finished our tondonia mini-vertical with this gorgeous fully mature ‘02
Feb 28th, 2023Pure, bright colour. Crazy, as it always is with these wines, that this is fifteen years old. It could be three. The nose is a recognisable medley of macerated cherry, nutmeg, vanilla, with a presiding aroma of freshly juiced blood orange. The palate has flecks of blackcurrant to go with the more cherry-like flavours.
Concentrated, juicy and long on the finish, this is a great vintage for Tondonia that will far outlive the 2007 and ‘09.
Pure, bright colour. Crazy, as it always is with these wines, that this is fifteen years old. It could be three. The nose is a recognisable medley of macerated cherry, nutmeg, vanilla, with a presiding aroma of freshly juiced blood orange. The palate has flecks of blackcurrant to go with the more cherry-like flavours.
Concentrated, juicy and long on the finish, this is a great vintage for Tondonia that will far outlive the 2007 and ‘09.