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| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.6 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 145 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by glou.sf on 3/8/2024 & rated 97 points: Spectacular nose with citrus and orange zest, lemon, minerals, some vanilla, and hay. It keeps changing in the glass and shows a lot of complexity. Surprisingly high acidity on the palate with more lemon, apple, minerals, and maybe a hint of peach and stone fruit. Very long finish. Wow, what a wine! There's so much going on. Outstanding! (439 views) | | | Tasted by BillBell73 on 10/18/2022: Very light in color with little visual evidence of age or oxidation. A very subtle and elegant wine for the most part, but with a slightly funky, cheesy edge to the nose. Slightly waxy in texture with lemon curd, almonds, and sharp acidity providing balance. Excellent and seems very young- can’t wait to try with more age. (1973 views) | | | Tasted by Goldstone on 5/23/2022 & rated 93 points: Whites by more famous Red makers.....& vice versa. (Grill Room, Hong Kong Country Club, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): My wine. Decanted for 4 hours than re-bottled 3 hours before serving, which was about right. Bright very light canary yellow colour. Same colour as the preceding Cinque Terra 2018…. looks very young. Muted nose and palate on opening…. it needs a long decant. On serving, the nose had developed a smooth white shoe cream character, fresh crushed almonds and high lemon-driven piano notes acidity. Palate is very crisp, lightly oxidative, very fresh and lifted, especially at cellar temperature. Tons of complexity and a real kick of deep resonance and reverberance on the finish that just grows and grows like rolling thunder. Helped by food, in this case French snails. (2146 views) | | | Tasted by danseng on 3/19/2022 & rated 97 points: 4 years since opening one and worth the wait. Incredible acid for a wine this age. Not nearly as oxidized as I had expected. Just a great wine. 2 more in the cellar and I’ll give them some more time to see where this wine can go. (2102 views) | | | Tasted by Bandreas on 3/13/2022: Tasted with Jim Cahill and our wives at Black Salt: dark golden color, nose of acacia honey, bee's wax and quince.
Mellow, aristocratic, yet lively with good underlying acidity. The wine was mouth-filling, complex with considerable breadth and depth.
On par with the Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet from Leflaive tasted alongside. Everybody liked it,. (1974 views) | | | Tasted by fclarity on 2/19/2022 & rated 93 points: Tasted blind, this wine had a yellow center with clear rims. The medium intensity nose suggested sauvignon blanc, vanilla pudding, and some soil.
In the mouth, this was rich and ripe with great balance and integration. It had good acidity and length.
The quality of this wine was a surprise. I see this drinking well for at least 10 years. Impressive! (2077 views) | | | Tasted by viadomitia on 10/20/2021 & rated 92 points: Bought at the estate in Haro many years ago. Drank a coule of weeks ago. No formal notes taken, working from memory. Top of the cork slightly moldy but the bottled part was in surprisingly good shape. Beautiful golden color, viscous in the glass. Fantastic nose, I clearly recall apricot and grapefruit as the main notes. I first took a small sip upon opening and was taken aback by the very high acidity. The wine was then double decanted for over two hours and drank over the next hour or so. By then, it was juicy and mellow, with the apricots coming back in the mouth as well as musky grapes, orange and supported by good acidity. Eaten with seafood raclette, this was a hit all around the table. Sad not to have any more white Tondonia gran reserva in my cellar. This is a treat, no need to wait but should hold well. 92+ (1740 views) | | | Tasted by Tudz Drkl on 5/15/2021: The 2 Decades Before the Millenium (Vino Sustinemus Clubhouse): Primarily lime, peach, apple provided the base of an intense nose that included notes of perfume and orange blossom. The palate was striking being rich and at the same time with obvious striking acidity. Richer than lemon - like sour orange with a touch of yeasty notes. A very long finish. Spectacular (1884 views) | | | Tasted by Alex G. on 2/9/2021: Fresher than '94 with more acidity, also a bit lighter body. I quite liked them both, there was a substantial contrast. If the bottles are representative, seems like the '91 would be the safer bet with '94 drinking more advanced at the moment. (2157 views) | | | Tasted by sharonandroland on 2/7/2021 & rated 93 points: Beautiful with years to go. (1905 views) | | | Tasted by Bandreas on 9/13/2020: Honeyed golden color; on the nose some bee's wax, "rancio" and lanolin but also a whiff of TSA which mostly dissipates .
This is different type of wine than the Ygay from Murrieta; much more acidity and leaner the palate, seemingly less substance.
A good wine, but not the same league... (2088 views) | | | Tasted by honest bob on 7/17/2020 flawed bottle: From 75cl. The sealing wax capsule conceals a rotten cork, as in all my previous five bottles. This is a high failure rate for an expensive wine from a famous producer, but (sarcasm warning) hey: that's TRADITION! The wine itself: Bright yellow, youthful, much lighter than the 1999 LdH Reserva tasted a week or so ago. Decanted 2 hours. Nasty mouldy cellar smell, but if you hold your nose there is bright acidity and fascinating lemon confit on the entry, broadening out to a rich, bitter, lemon-pith mid-palate, delicious bitterness persisting to the finish. Such a pity about the mould. Having visited LdH I absolutely get their adherence to archaic cellar technique. Indeed, I've have had enough extraordinary bottles of red and white Tondonia alike to agree that (when they aren't spoiled) they are indeed unique and potentially fabulous. But why can't the winery draw a line at the point when the product is finally bottled and sold (in this case at the premium price-level of 60 EUR/75cl retail on release) to the consumer? That could mean EITHER investing in high quality corks that don't rot in the bottle OR perhaps trying DIAM OR even doing what AUS/NZ winemakers have now proved to the world works best: USE SCREWCAPS. My investment in this wine alone was well over 300 EUR, from which I didn't get one genuinely satisfactory bottle. Not cool. With the 1970 Tondonia GR tinto I have only had perfect experiences, so: Bingo. Does that make everything right? Well, no. The 2001 Reserva has so far offered me about 4 bottles good, one bottle bad; the 1994 Tondonia GR blanco one perfect bottle, but there are five still to go... Is this an acceptable way to treat your customers? (2410 views) | | | Tasted by Comte de Rousset on 6/27/2020 & rated 96 points: Encore du fruit, de la pêche confite, de la fraicheur sans trop d'acidité, et de la minéralité. Un vin intrigant. Un accord superbe avec un trio de fromages à pâte ferme du Québec. (1941 views) | | | Tasted by honest bob on 2/28/2020 flawed bottle: Gently corked and very mouldy. (1873 views) | | | Tasted by BillBell73 on 2/21/2020 flawed bottle: Another slightly corked bottle. (2089 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 1/20/2020 & rated 92 points: Its been 2 years since we has this last ( Papies 94) and amazingly this is less oxidative now than back then. More of a rounder expression of this style, a few honey notes. Bright an energetic for sure, yes some oxidative side on the palate and dried nuts but as special as ever. Not for everyone but special for sure. 92-93 (2185 views) | | | Tasted by Wineloon on 12/19/2019 & rated 96 points: Knockout. Struck match nose, really serious stuff. Delicious (1785 views) | | | Tasted by oldwines on 12/18/2019 & rated 94 points: Our Philly Wine Group's Spanish/Portuguese Dinner (Mixto Restaurante, Phila., PA USA): Brought from my cellar to the Philly Wine Group’s Spanish/Portuguese dinner. Double decanted at home and brought to Mixto Restaurante (a 2 hour drive away for me). Needs the air. Bright light golden yellow, no browning or obvious oxidation. Nose is very floral with acacia flowers and a little nuttiness. Bright and energetic, youthful almost, despite its 28 years. High acidity still at this age and citrus, both orange zest and lemon, cream and some almonds. Stunningly long on the finish which carries a good bit of minerality. Needs food...perfect with the Camarones and the Pulpo (Shrimp and Octopus). This is a serious, contemplative wine not what I would call easy drinking, however. (2076 views) | | | Tasted by skurtz on 12/18/2019 & rated 92 points: Soft nose, subtle flavors beautiful balanced acidity. Intellectually interesting but almost too subtle to be truly delicious. Improved massively with food, especially octopus! Definitely a food wine. (1813 views) | | | Tasted by wineismylife on 11/26/2019 & rated 93 points: WIML93
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 3 hours.
Dark yellow, almost gold in color, clear looking throughout. Nose of sherry, dried ginger and brandy soaked pears. Flavors of brandy soaked pears, cherry wasser and minerals. Medium to bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd drink. Drinking really well right now. (1540 views) | | | Tasted by edwardochu on 10/26/2019 & rated 89 points: Fundamentally its a well balanced wine, decanted for 2 hrs... it has lovely acidity, more than expected, good fruit profile, but I feel that this wine is missing body and weight.. can it age.. yes.. will it get more weight as it ages.. I am not sure.. (1510 views) | | | Tasted by honest bob on 8/25/2019 & rated 90 points: From 75cl, decayed grey cork under hard wax capsule, extracted with great difficulty. At room temperature this is a very fine, creamy, ripe lemon-tinged, saline wine with bright acidity. I then put the opened bottle in an ice jacket and the contents complained loudly, giving off that acrid, american-oak/mouldy-cellar smell which I like less and less in Tondonias young and old. Fortunately, as it warmed up again, the wine regained its balance and the mould morphed back to vanilla oak. Next time I'll serve this P+P at room temperature with something bland and creamy. This reminds me of a v. good Californian Chardonnay in the 50+ EUR league more than anything else I have had lately from the Old World. So I suppose the 60 EUR I paid retail wasn't overpriced. 90P (1590 views) | | | Tasted by portman63 on 8/17/2019 & rated 92 points: The perfect wine for a seafood paella. Rich and layered with a nice balance of maderized characteristics with lots of acidity to keep in clean in the mouth. Also has baked apple flavors on the palate. (1441 views) | | | Tasted by AV2012 on 7/7/2019: Decant the hell out of it. Tonight it didn't shine probably due to not enough time in the air, also the competition was strong. (1697 views) | | | Tasted by sharonandroland on 1/16/2019 & rated 94 points: What freshness and depth. Drinking incredibly well. and not showing any sign of slowing down. (2434 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, 2017 New Releases From Spain, Part 1 (Jan 2017) (1/1/2017)
(R. Lopez De Heredia Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva (rioja)) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (9/26/2013)
(López Heredia, Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/3/2013)
(López Heredia, Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, September/October 2011, IWC Issue #158
(R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva Rioja) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/28/2013)
(R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia) Medium golden yellow color with 1.5 millimeter clear meniscus; saffron, lemon oil, hazelnut, almond, ripe lemon, buttered almond, saline nose; maturing, oily textured, lemon oil, mineral, saffron, bitter lemon palate; long finish 93+ points (85% Viura, 15% Malvasia) 93 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/11/2011)
(R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia) Light medium golden color with 2 millimeter clear meniscus; bright, citron, spice, saffron, lemon, floral nose; oily textured, bright citron, saffron, mineral, rock salt palate with medium acidity; long finish (90% Viura, 10% Malvasia) 94 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/8/2011)
(R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia) Light medium golden color with 2 millimeter clear meniscus; lifted, tart kumquat, lemon peel, herbal, tart lemon, tart pineapple, meaty nose; very youthful, medium-plus bodied, tangy, tart citron, kumquat, lemon zest, mineral, tart baked lemon, light ginger palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points (90% Viura, 10% Malvasia) 92 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (7/5/2011)
(R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia) Light medium golden yellow color with 2 millimeter clear meniscus; tart apricot, light butterscotch, green pear, sherry nose; tangy, lightly oily textured, tart citrus, tart orange, nut oil, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points (90% Viura, 10% Malvasia) 92 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| R. López de Heredia Producer WebsiteWhite 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
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