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| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.7 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 50 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by premiercru1973 on 9/1/2023 & rated 95 points: Beautiful texture and elegant complexity that is in a great window of maturity now. Tasted along with the 2004 and 2005 and this was winner of the flight! (462 views) | | | Tasted by canan on 9/1/2023 & rated 92 points: Lopez di Heredia BYO (@MichaelsPlace): Sweet fruit, coffee, barnyard and a touch of cabbage. (423 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 1/15/2022 & rated 92 points: A blend of Viura aka. Macabeo (90%) and Malvasia Riojana aka. Alarije (10%). After the spontaneous fermentation, the wine is aged for 6 years in predominantly old American oak barrels, bottled unfiltered and aged for a further 5-6 years in the bottles before release. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted in Tondonia Blanco 1999-2005 vertical.
Somewhat deep, luminous burnished golden color - looks similar to the 2001 vintage and more youthful than the darker 1999 and 2002 vintages. The nose feels a bit low-key for a Tondonia Blanco with a bit restrained aromas of evolved waxy character, some wizened golden apples, a little bit of dusty soil, light nutty tones, hints of ripe citrus fruits and lemon zest, a touch of creamy richness and a whiff of dried flowers. The wine is very intense and slightly concentrated on the palate with a full body and fresh flavors that show relatively little evolution. There are notes of ripe golden apples, some nutty complexity, a little bit of slivered almonds, light notes of hay, a hint of chalky minerality and a creamy touch of panna cotta. The high acidity lends great sense of structure and freshness to the wine. The finish is long, dry and somewhat acid-driven with bright, tangy flavors of saline minerality, some wizened green apple tones, a little bit of oxidative nuttiness, light nuances of hay, a hint of rosin and a touch of lemon zest.
A wonderfully fresh and precise vintage of white Tondonia Reserva that seemed a bit restrained and understated in comparison to the other vintages we had. I wonder if this is just a lesser vintage compared to the outstanding 1999 and 2001 vintages, or if this was just caught in a slump. However, the wine was also surprisingly youthful for its age, showing less sense of development compared to the surrounding vintages and, conversely, great potential of future development. Although an excellent Rioja white - like Tondonia Reserva almost invariably is, every time - this seemed a bit lesser in quality compared to most of the other vintages we had. However, I wouldn't be surprised if this wine blossomed into something extraordinary with further aging, seeing how ridiculously youthful the wine seemed now, at the tender age of 21½ years. (2569 views) | | | Tasted by vin0vin0 on 10/27/2021 & rated 93 points: This is made up of Viura (90%) and Malvasía (10%). This pours out golden in the glass. A slight oxidative note is the first thing to hit the nose followed by lemon peel, butterscotch and ripe tangerine. Layers of flavors explode all across the tongue. Waxy lemon rind, orange peel, lemon curd, a hint of that butterscotch are all beautifully balanced with lovely acidity and a very long tongue coating finish. (1993 views) | | | Tasted by Gece on 7/14/2021: Still in great shape at twenty-one years of age. (2285 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 11/7/2020 & rated 90 points: Election Celebration Continues (The Fisters - Chicago IL): Rich and seemingly meaty with combination of ripe orchard fruit and earth with very good density and acidity. Very good length as well. (3263 views) | | | Tasted by yvr2zrh on 8/25/2020 & rated 93 points: This has developed nicely. On opening the cork was perfect. Wine was golden yellow, lightly oxidized, vanilla, acitidy, honey - just like a 20-year old white Rioja should taste like. (2337 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 11/15/2018 & rated 93 points: Honey, beeswax, nuts, oxidation (a bit like sherry) on the nose, beautiful golden yellow in colour. On the palate ripe fruit, wonderful acidity. Clean, intense, lovely weight on the palate, very long. Excellent, drink or keep. 92-94 (2802 views) | | | Tasted by al-Zabba on 6/24/2018: Rich, honeyed texture. Oxidated in its characteristic manner. Like late summer sunshine in the pre-sunset hour. (2997 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 3/28/2018: Cellartracker in the flesh with Stefan, Mats, Tomas and Basil (La Rochelle, Tokyo): medium minus aromas of almond meal, marzipan, sweet spice, citrus notes, slight cream. Juicy acidity, citrus notes, lemon especially with a little grapefruit. Bit of front of mouth grip. Tangy. Non-intrusive alcohol warmth. I called Bordeaux blanc 2005 (2980 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 1/1/2018 & rated 91 points: Open 30-45 minutes before serving. Mature apple with toasted almonds and a reasonable oxidative note, while still managing to remain fresh and bright. Kept getting better over the course of several hours. Very good length, good+ weight and balance. Good now, probably better 2020-2030? 2040? (3525 views) | | | Tasted by Billigan on 12/26/2017 flawed bottle: Corked (2756 views) | | | Tasted by amateur62 on 9/22/2017 & rated 93 points: Evening with friends: Oxidised, after opening just oxidised, not much more. Needed an hour after decanting and warming up to show its potential (best at about 14°C). On the nose petrol, fruit (apricot) and of course some oxidative notes but very restrained, on the palate fresh, full bodied, sustainable but also very dry. Could not be more classical. Was perfect with a rustic tomato soup. Drink now with a long decant or cellar it forever. (2966 views) | | | Tasted by theronware on 9/7/2017 & rated 93 points: Really delicious. Paired with a vegetable tagine, the aromatics of that dish meshed wonderfully with this wine. Love the linear, incisive beam of acidity that counterpoints the richer, oxidative and nutty flavors. Drank over two nights, this bottle was better on the second night, more composed and seemingly with even better concentration. (2429 views) | | | Tasted by Gece on 5/26/2017 & rated 92 points: Great as always. Mushroom risotto, a little sherry, with herbal notes, pine needles, lemony acidity and a length seldom encountered. Love it. (2628 views) | | | Tasted by king-bing on 3/23/2017 & rated 95 points: Magnificent. Fabulous tension and contradiction. Very dry yet full; sweetness and nuttiness on the nose, yet so savoury. Great complexity: notes of orange peel, honey, nuts. long finish and so fresh. Could keep coming back to this. (2857 views) | | | Tasted by BSA on 9/16/2016 & rated 91 points: So Friday dinner was white bean soup (!!), with baked Spanish ham. Dazed and confused I reached for this Spanish white with some age. First time for me with this wine. First dip gave lots of fungus and some yellow fruit that did not really catch my attention. Eventually, with some decant complexity emerged providing a distinct sense of a great mature blanc de blanc, with a touch of tropics and fungus. Ripe yellow apples, nuts, ripe lemons. Fruit is defintely intact, shining. Acidity is fine. Finish is nice but not overly long. 91-92p now. I have one more bootle that I will try to leave until 2020+. (3374 views) | | | Tasted by Crispin on 8/16/2016 & rated 91 points: Excellent, aged, darker, still fruity Rioja (2951 views) | | | Tasted by Conde on 8/12/2016 & rated 90 points: Vacker bärnstensfärgat. Intrikat och komplex doft av mogna, gula äpplen, gula plommon, fat, citron och nötter. Medelfylligt plus; smakrikt med mogen gul frukt och fat; bra genomgående balanserande syra och ren, god läskande avslutning.
Till en paella med kyckling och räkor. (2805 views) | | | Tasted by Claret & CdP Gang on 7/7/2016 & rated 93 points: Drunk alongside the 2001, darker, oily almond nose, lovely bouquet, rustic and distinct, on the palate intense and mellow, open and more ready than the 2001
93 (2656 views) | | | Tasted by Vinomark on 5/20/2016 & rated 92 points: Soon good with tapas (2533 views) | | | Tasted by thunberg on 5/13/2016 & rated 90 points: @BYOB tasting
Great nose with hints of oxidation, metal, leather, burnt paper, apple, oak. Medium acidity, lovely finish. (2166 views) | | | Tasted by portman63 on 4/16/2016 & rated 93 points: I got the same as RHIT, but had it with food (a shrimp and Spanish rice dish. Yummy!) :-). Rich and voluptuous with or without the dish, however. Shows the oxidized character, but the vanilla and marmalade fruit character give it such fresh finish. Quite nuanced with a lot of complexity at this price point. The best white Riserva I have had, easily. (2147 views) | | | Tasted by rhit on 4/1/2016: Salted cashew-like sweetness and muskiness. Rich, fresh, delicious. Should have had it with food. Oops, I didn't. (2009 views) | | | Tasted by "Rhône Rider" on 2/20/2016 & rated 91 points: Flott vin. Hvite blomster, nøtter, litt frukt. Forførende, frisk. Sitter godt. Laaaang. (2331 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| R. López de Heredia Producer Website2000 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña TondoniaViura (90%) Malvasía (10%)
12.5% alcohol by vol.
6 g/l acidity
6 years in barrels being racked twice a year and fined with fresh egg whites.
9,500 bottles made.White Blend"White blend" means the wine is made from a blend of two or more different white varieties - or in some cases a blend of pink or red varieties that are vinified white, ie. without any skin contact.
A blend of Antao, Arinto, Rouperio. Viña TondoniaJay Miller in WA, June 2010
A visit to the venerable Bodega Lopez de Heredia, located in the Rioja Alta capital of Haro, is akin to entering a time machine taking you back 100 years. Construction of the Bodega began in 1877 and continues without any apparent changes to the present day. The winery is operated by the voluble Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia, her sister Mercedes, and their father Pedro, still active into his 80s. All of the wines are produced from estate grown bush vines. Tondonia and Bosconia are two different vineyards; Bosconia has a larger percentage of Tempranillo and a different orientation. For an excellent overview of the estate, read Eric Asimov’s blog in the New York Times dated August 11, 2009.
Map on weinlagen-infoSpain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.La Rioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
Map on weinlagen-infoLa Rioja Alta Map on weinlagen-infoRioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
HISTORY
The wine region of La Rioja in Spain was first demarcated by the area's governing body, the Consejo Regulador, in 1926. The region extends for approximately 120 kilometres along both sides of the Ebro River and is, at its widest point, bounded by mountains on either side. In fact, the word 'Rioja' is a derivation of the two words 'Rio' (River) and 'Oja (the name of a tributary of the Ebro that runs right through La Rioja creating a series of microclimates and providing much needed water for the vines).
La Rioja has always been a vital part of Spain's history. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and finally, medieval Crusaders have all played a part in the area's history. The Romans, however, made wine a part of their culture wherever they travelled, and La Rioja was no exception. Ancient sites of Roman wineries still exist in and around the area today.
After the Romans came the Moors, and winemaking all but ceased. It wasn't until after the famous 'El Cid' liberated Spain, and medieval Christianity brought trade via the Crusaders through the region, that it flourished again. The Benedictine monks of Cluny in Burgundy, known for their viticulture, helped to establish three monasteries in the area. The vines they planted were mostly white grapes. In the fourteenth century, English traders acquired a taste for a local Rioja wine, which was a blend of white and red wines called Blancos Pardillos. Over time, development of lighter reds came about satisfying eighteenth century English and French courts.
The real improvements to Rioja's viticulture began around 1780 when the need to prolong wine during transport brought about experimentation with different woods and preservatives. Studies were made of the techniques used by great chateaux in Bordeaux. With the outbreak of the Peninsular War, progress was halted until 1852, when the Bordelais came south to Rioja seeking vines because their vineyards had been blighted with oidium. French winemaking methods were eagerly taken up by great rivals the Marques de Murrieta and Marques de Riscal (who both claim to have been the first in Rioja to make wine in the Bordeaux fashion).
When phylloxera devastated Bordeaux in the 1870s and the French influence really took hold in Rioja, many of the region's finest bodegas started production on what we now consider as the great wines of Rioja. It’s important to remember that Bordeaux winemaking methods then were very different to those employed today in France, and involved long ageing in barrel, a factor that the Riojans took up enthusiastically. So enthusiastically in fact that to this day there are a number of Bodegas that still make their wine in a surprisingly similar fashion to that of the Bordelais in the later part of the 1800s and this also explains why oak ageing is such an important part of Riojan winemaking.
USE OF OAK
Pronounced vanilla flavours in the wines are a trademark of the region though some modern winemakers are experimenting with making wines less influenced by oak. Originally French oak was used but as the cost of the barrels increased many bodegas began to buy American oak planks and fashion them into barrels at Spanish cooperages in a style more closely resembling the French method. This included hand splitting the wood, rather than sawing, and allowing the planks time to dry and 'season' in the outdoors versus drying in the kiln. In recent times, more bodegas have begun using French oak and many will age wines in both American and French oak for blending purposes.
In the past, it was not uncommon for some bodegas to age their red wines for 15-20 years or even more before their release. One notable example of this is Marqués de Murrieta which released its 1942 vintage Gran Reserva in 1983 after 41 years of ageing. Today most bodegas have shifted their winemaking focus to wines that are ready to drink sooner with the top wines typically ageing for 4-8 years prior to release though some traditionalists still age longer. The typical bodega owns anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 oak barrels.
The use of oak in white wine has declined significantly in recent times when before the norm was traditionally 2-5 years in oak. This created slightly oxidised wines with flavours of caramel, coffee, and roasted nuts that did not appeal to a large market of consumers. Today the focus of white winemakers has been to enhance the vibrancy and fruit flavours of the wine.
WINE CLASSIFICATION
Most Riojan Bodegas believe that the ageing of a wine should be the responsibility of the producer rather than that of the consumer, and this is why much Rioja is more mature than wines from other countries. Rioja red wines are classified into four categories. The first, simply labelled 'Rioja', or 'Sin Crianza' (meaning 'without ageing') is the youngest, spending less than a year in oak. A "Crianza" is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which is in oak. 'Reserva' is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. Finally, 'Gran Reserva' wines have been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle. Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are not necessarily produced each year. Also produced are wines in a semi-crianza style, those that have had a couple of months of oak influence but not enough to be called a full crianza. The designation of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva might not always appear on the front label but may appear on a neck or back label in the form of a stamp designation known as Consejo.
SUB REGIONS
Rioja Alta
Located on the western edge of the region, and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known for more fruity and concentrated wines which can have very smooth texture and mouth feel.
Rioja Alavesa
Despite sharing a similar climate as the Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil.
Rioja Baja
Unlike the more continental climate of the Alta and Alavesa, the Rioja Baja is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate which makes this area the warmest and driest of the Rioja. In the summer months, drought can be a significant viticultural hazard, though since the late 1990s irrigation has been permitted. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 95°F. Twenty percent of the vineyards actually fall within the Navarra appellation but the wine produced from the grapes is still allowed to claim the Rioja designation. The predominant grape here is the Garnacha which prefers the hot conditions, unlike the more aromatic Tempranillo. Consequently Baja wines are very deeply coloured and can be highly alcoholic with some wines at 18% alcohol by volume. The wines typically do not have much acidity or aroma and are generally used as blending components with wines from other parts of
the Rioja.
The Riojans are master blenders (as they have to be because there are relatively few single estates in the area, the norm being to blend from a wide variety of vineyards and wine areas). Consequently they are able to reduce vintage variation by careful blending and many of the best wines vary relatively little between vintages.
VITICULTURE & GRAPES
Rioja wines are normally a blend of various grape varieties, and can be either red (tinto), white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). Rioja has a total of 57,000 hectares cultivated, yielding 250 million litres of wine annually, of which 85% is red. The harvest time for most Rioja vineyards is September-October with the northern Rioja Alta having the latest harvest in late October. The soil here is clay-based with a high concentration of chalk and iron (which provides the redness in the soil that may be responsible for the region's name, Rioja, meaning red). There is also significant concentration of limestone, sandstone and alluvial silt.
Among the Tintos, the best-known and most widely-used variety is Tempranillo. Other grapes used include Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, and Mazuelo. A typical blend will consist of approximately 60% Tempranillo and up to 20% Garnacha, with much smaller proportions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Each grape adds a unique component to the wine with Tempranillo contributing the main flavours and ageing potential to the wine; Garnacha adding body and alcohol; Mazuelo adding seasoning flavours and Graciano adding additional aromas.
With Rioja Blanco, Viura is the prominent grape (also known as Macabeo) and is sometimes blended with some Malvesia and Garnacha Blanca. In the white wines the Viura contributes mild fruitness, acidity and some aroma to the blend with Garnacha Blanca adding body and Malvasia adding aroma. Rosados are mostly derived from Garnacha grapes. The 'international varieties' of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have gained some attention and use through experimental plantings by some bodegas but their use has created wines distinctly different from the typical Rioja.
Some of the most sought after grapes come from the limestone/sandstone based 'old vine' vineyards in the Alavesa and Alta regions. These 40 year old plus vines are prized due to their low yields and more concentrated flavours. A unique DO regulation stipulates that the cost of the grapes used to make Rioja must exceed by at least 200% the national average of wine grapes used in all Spanish wines.
VINTAGE CHART
Rioja (Red) Year %
2004 Superb vintage, classic wines Drink or Hold 94
2003 Hot, dry year, long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 91
2002 Smallest vintage in 10 years. Variable quality.
Keep to top names Drink or Hold 87
2001 Excellent year for long ageing Reservas
and Gran Reservas Drink or Hold 94
2000 A generally good vintage with fine Reservas Drink or Hold 89
1999 Smaller vintage of good quality Drink or Hold 88
1998 Good vintage Drink or Hold 97
1997 Unexciting so far, but quaffable Drink or Hold 84
1996 Good year, plenty of ageing potential Drink or Hold 89
1995 Very good vintage, Reservas now showing excellent fruit Drink or Hold 92
1994 Outstanding, some great long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 94
1993 Lesser wines, apart from best-known names Drink 77
1992 Rather light vintage Drink 80
1991 Still improving, average quality Drink or Hold 85
1990 Fairly ordinary but quaffable Drink 84
1989 Good, firm structure Drink 88
Rioja Reserva & Gran Reserva – Vintages of the Eighties Year %
1989 Goodish vintage, well balanced Drink 88
1988 Fairly good vintage, well balanced wines Drink 88
1987 Very attractive vintage, now at peak Drink 90
1986 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1985 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1984 Disappointing, with problem weather Avoid 80
1983 Don't keep it any longer Drink 86
1982 Now past its best Drink 83
1981 Superb wines, finest will keep longer Drink 90
1980 Average vintage, don't keep any longer Drink 86
More vintage charts
Mp on weinlagen-info
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