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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.3 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 23 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Los 12 Glotones on 6/20/2013 & rated 93 points: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/06/vina-tondonia-1988-blanco-reserva.html
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De color amarillo dorado, oscuro, muy intenso, con sensación de grosor, reflejos anaranajados y ambarinos.
Abierto, limpio, franco, sin excesos reductivos ni signos evidentes de vejez. Predominan las sensaciones amieladas, ceras, fruta blanca y pulpa muy madura, y unos cremosos con puntas de vainillas de fondo que lo envuelven todo. Extraordinariamente joven y jovial con un perfil que se acerca más a la gama de Gravonia que a los vinos más viejos de la bodega. Al respirar gana en potencia y asoman unas fragantes notas de cáscaras (nueces, piñones, avellanas), fruta seca, orejones, confitura de naranja, cremosos.
En boca está en sintonía con todo lo olido. Fresco y nervioso, con una acidez intensa, notas de cítricos dulces y amargosos. Excelente expresión de viura riojana, con esa longevidad y vigor que aporta a los vinos de larga crianza. Su juventud abruma, lleno de fruta escarchada, de amargosos, con la corpulencia habitual...
La regularidad de los vinos de López de Heredia, añada tras añada, es algo incomprensible y sin igual en Rioja. Nos queda claro que la mayor habilidad de esta bodega es elaborar estos blancos grandiosos capaces de rivalizar sin complejos ante cualqueir otro gran vino blanco europeo. Y por 20 eurillos... Admirable!!!
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90% viura, 10% malvasía - 12% vol.
Fermenta en viejas tinas de roble de 60 hectolitros sin control de temperatura. Permanece durante 6 años en barricas de roble americano de 225 litros. Sometido a 2 trasiegas manuales cada año. Clarificado con claras de huevos frescos. Embotellado directamente de la barrica sin filtrar. Permanece durante un mínimo de 9 años en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado. Producción limitada a 16.800 botellas.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (5682 views) | | | Tasted by salil on 8/5/2010 & rated 92 points: Drinking beautifully, combining fresh quince and citrus fruit flavours with savoury nutty, smoky, herbal and waxy flavour elements - incredibly complex and layered with a gentle, faintly creamy texture and impressive length. Delicious. (8229 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 1/9/2010 & rated 88 points: Beautiful golden colour. Truly alluring nose, with a nose of honeysuckle and dried tropical fruit, but also a subtle hint of earthiness. On the palate, initially quite dry, but the lushness soon takes over, with layers of tropical fruit. Very pleasant mouthfeel. There is a note of gooseberry that reminds me of sauvignon blanc. There is some "funk" in the finish, which alludes to wet fur. (9082 views) | | | Tasted by beezer6 on 12/17/2009 & rated 91 points: Taste at Elysian. Bottle open in fridge overnight.
Color shows virtually no sign of age. Incredible how this bodega achieves such vibrant color.
Aromas of lychee fruit, honeyed walnuts, lemon zest and celery salt as well - very unique nose.
Palate is medium bodied showing more tropical yellow fruit, some light earth and green herbaciousness.
Very nice and extremely youthful. Superb bottling with another decade or two of life. (8897 views) | | | Tasted by LoireFan on 1/26/2009 & rated 90 points: Not that expressive and a bit disappointing. (9420 views) | | | Tasted by LoireFan on 1/10/2009: Excellent bottle. (4861 views) | | | Tasted by Harley1199 on 12/25/2008: An oldie but powerful enough to maintain its crown of one of the best spanish white wines for a long time. Still representing best banana barck aroma, lemon background, greasy taste, perfect harmony with shellfish apperitive.
Pes e a sus veinte años, un anciano lo suficientemente poderoso como para mantener su corona de uno de los mejores vinos blancos españoles perdurables. Se siente su aroma a piel de banana, procedencias cítricas, un paso untuoso y tiene una perfecta armonía con los aperitivos de crustaceos. (4409 views) | | | Tasted by andrewstevenson.com on 12/5/2008 & rated 93 points: Cabbagey and cheesey on the nose, and just slightly raisined. But there's also a freshness and a subtle perfume to it too. There's lots of acidity on the palate that gives it a lovely and unexpected freshness. This is lovely, clean and balanced. A gorgeous wine that you could drink with anything. (4261 views) | | | Tasted by SPierson on 6/10/2008 & rated 88 points: This is the fourth bottle we've opened and the variability is quite high-- the first was flawed/oxidized, the second wonderful, the third near dead and this was quite nice but a touch faded versus the prior stellar bottle. Citrus and minerals on the aftertaste; very yellow in color. (4799 views) | | | Tasted by Vinho on 8/27/2007: Destaques da Vini Vinci 2007; 8/27/2007-8/28/2007: PI. Nariz mais sutil do que o Gravonia 95, porém com mais profundidade. Seco, austero e elegante, com mineralidade destacada. Final muito longo, lembrando nozes. 91-93pts. (6792 views) | | | Tasted by BillB656 on 8/3/2007: Very feminine compared to the rough hewned Gravonia. Refined lemon waxy flavors, ultra long and complex. Dreamy. (5057 views) | | | Tasted by LoireFan on 7/27/2007 & rated 92 points: Showing very well! An excellent bottle! (My wife thought this was yellower in color than the previous two.) (5024 views) | | | Tasted by pbjosh on 6/29/2007 & rated 89 points: Waxy lemon and honey on the nose, a bit lighter in the mouth, very elegant and fine. Went very well with a blue cheese / pear / honey salad actually... (5137 views) | | | Tasted by LoireFan on 2/1/2007 & rated 88 points: Disappointing. (5182 views) | | | Tasted by blue on 12/24/2006: Delicious, Vibrant aromas of orange, green apple. round nice acidity. mineral, long penetrating finish, very yong! (5186 views) | | | Tasted by RiojaGuru on 7/13/2006 & rated 93 points: Another great Tondonia Reserva Blanco from RLdH. This one needed two days of decanting to really show its stuff. See notes here:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=2016 (5428 views) |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, The Wines of López de Heredia: 1954–1998 (Oct 2006)
(Lopez De Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Reserva) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, September/October 2005, IWC Issue #122
(R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva Blanco Rioja) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (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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