1976 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia |
| Vintage | 1976 |  | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | R. López de Heredia (web) | ||
| Variety | Tempranillo Blend | ||
| Designation | Gran Reserva | ||
| Vineyard | Viña Tondonia | ||
| Country | Spain | ||
| Region | La Rioja | ||
| SubRegion | La Rioja Alta | ||
| Appellation | Rioja |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2002 and 2021 (based on 9 user opinions) | |
| Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia on the Wine Market Journal. |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average and median of 93 pts. in 62 notes) | |
| Tasted by Burgundy Al on 3/1/2023 & rated 98 points: Pre-Paulee Warm-up Dinner (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): Alongside the '76 Bosconia Gran Reserva. Complex array of red and black cherry with slowly cooked mushroom, braised meat spice and lots of concentration. Much better vs last time opened at a dinner in 2012, this was sensational today, easily overshadowing the beautiful Bosconia. Wine of the Night. (2059 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 3/1/2023 & rated 98 points: Pre La Paulée Dinner with friends (Home): My WOTN in an extraordinary line-up of wines. This is incredibly youthful but also so complex and nuanced. The fruit is seamless and refined while also weighty. Texturally similar to what I love in mature Grand Cru burgundy with the unique, layered flavors of Rioja. (1567 views) | |
| Tasted by ThijsV on 2/18/2023 flawed bottle: Cork fallen in the wine long ago and leaked significantly during transport. Only vinegar left (961 views) | |
| Tasted by FEDEVIDAL on 7/17/2022 & rated 98 points: El lacrado se encontraba en perfecto estado, pero no así el tapón que se deshizo en migas y ello obligó a decantar el vino lo cual no le fue nada mal. El color totalmente atejado muy claro. El aroma inicial era oscuro y sucio, pero con la decantación de una hora aproximadamente se transformó. Ahora ya tenemos un auténtico LdH Gran Reserva en su mejor expresión, que es tras muchos decenios en botella¡ El aroma que emite es intenso y profundo. Da tonos eminentemente terciarios, cuero, sacristía, cera, flor seca, tierra, madera vieja perfumada con restos o señales de confitura de cerezas o hijos. La boca es milagrosa, desde luego suave, pulida, fina y elegante. Tiene mucha profundidad y es expansiva lateralmente hacia los bordes, el centro se constituye por una delgada y fina línea vertical que se diría de acero por su extraordinaria dureza, (esta es una característica que sólo encuentro en estos viejos LdH). Además, se expresa sobre tonos terciarios volviendo a aparecer confitura de frutas y guindas al licor, que le da un tono ligeramente licoroso, hay restos de madera vieja y perfumada que se integra muy bien en el conjunto y no obstaculizan para nada el disfrute de este vino, incluso tengo la impresión que estas sensaciones maderosas, siempre ligeras y bien integradas, tienen su origen más en la evolución en botella que la propia crianza del vino, pero es sólo una impresión. Increíble, magnífico, esplendoroso, poco más puedo decir. 98 (1361 views) | |
| Tasted by rc@ughey on 3/4/2022 & rated 96 points: Breathtaking. This has a crazy intense nose of dried flowers, red fruits, and earth. The palate is open-knit with sweet red and brambly fruits and layers of herbs, leather, and emerging sous bois. Still astonishingly fresh. I dare say this has room to improve further. These older LdH wines can have such bottle variation, but this was really profound. (1760 views) | |
| Tasted by HotelHarrington on 5/25/2021: Fascinating wine. Upon opening, very strong aromas of tomato, charred red pepper, and slight olive brine. Similar on the palate, with a lot of vegetal and earthy notes, and with an added note that I could only place as something like Worcestershire sauce. After getting some more air (roughly an hour), some cranberry acidity emerged. Other than that, not a ton of fruit. Enjoyable, and very different than the Bordeaux style blends I’m used to. (1536 views) | |
| Tasted by Dmax808 on 12/18/2019 & rated 97 points: Just fantastic. So fresh for a 43 year old wine! Great acid and still a good amount of figs and ripe red fruit, lots of cedar and a nice dustiness. Interestingly very little sediment (which has been my experience with older Rioja). (2274 views) | |
| Tasted by Jammy Wine on 8/26/2019 flawed bottle: Unfortunately my bottle of 1976 Tondonia Gran Reserva was not up to par. Something not quite right, madeirised.. Volatile, strawberries, sour cherry, gamey leather with smooth tannins. Good underlying quality but strange bottle, possibly due to bad storage. (2584 views) | |
| Tasted by THECORKDORK on 6/16/2019 & rated 93 points: Freaking incredible bottle of Lopez. In such a great spot. Smoky on the nose, slightly fresher on the palate. Cranberry, dried red plum, wilted red roses, dill, fertilizer. Fascinating and still fresh. (2319 views) | |
| Tasted by tinybubbles on 11/11/2017 & rated 93 points: Crushed red berries, dusty soil tones and light funk on the nose. Palate displays a richness of red fruit with background sweetness and light mineral and earth notes. (3454 views) | |
| Tasted by nzinkgraf on 8/3/2017: We had ordered the ’80 (1st bottle corked), but they poured the '76. Lively tree bark and herb amaro aromas. Really meaty. Celery salt. Absolutely enchanting aromatically. The World's Best Dry Red Vermouth. Light tannin, it's there, just a gentle tug. Very rocky to the palate, while thinking about not being able to taste rocks. A very memorable night...Jamie...Pippins...Carlsberg. (3466 views) | |
| Tasted by Patrik H on 3/13/2017: No formal notes (3297 views) | |
| Tasted by Winevestor on 11/23/2016 & rated 92 points: A lovely old wine. Lots of leather and tobacco, but still a good fruit - old plum. Not nearly as good the second night. Light / medium mouthfeel due to its age. (3314 views) | |
| Tasted by Lype on 8/18/2016 & rated 91 points: Lots of cherry flavours in a nice package, preferred the -81 though. (1402 views) | |
| Tasted by Rani on 7/17/2016 & rated 92 points: Huge stench of sewer at first (in a good way), burnt rubber and blackberry. Very good. (3382 views) | |
| Tasted by rossi.wine on 4/8/2015 & rated 91 points: Evolved in colour, brownish, tawny in colour. Quite aged on the nose, dried fruit, figs, leather, earthy notes, a bit old and tired. On the palate soft, mellow, elegant and round. Nice aromatics, maybe lacking a bit of grip and definition. Balsamic notes, slightly bitter. 90-92 (4337 views) | |
| Tasted by AtoZ on 4/2/2015: Excellent. Full and plush but not overripe. Great with lamb chops. No decant was needed. (3746 views) | |
| Tasted by dmalcolm on 3/6/2015: Lighter red colour with elegant red and dark fruits, old leather and rust. Refined and soft on the palate with good acidity and structure. Holding up very well. (3178 views) | |
| Tasted by Los 12 Glotones on 1/26/2015 & rated 94 points: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/vina-tondonia-1976-gran-reserva.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Botella lacrada en origen y no vuelta a reencorchar posteriormente. Corcho oscuro, empapado pero en muy buen estado, elástico. Ha salido sin problemas, de una pieza. Veamos: de color rubí marronoso de capa media, ligeramente turbio con finísimas partículas en suspensión (requiere ir con mucho cuidado al servir) con bastante precipitado en la base de la botella. Reflejos cobrizos, sin mucho brillo, pardizo. Ribete amplio, atejado, sin gran diferencia respecto al menisco. Una exhibición de perfume de Rioja clásica, de gran intensidad aunque al inicio se muestra "apestosillo" con apuntes de barro, ceniza y un fondo vegetal (¿mate cocido?) difícil de definir. Las 2 horas de espera, sin decantar, lo ponen en su sitio. De una reducción elegantísima al tiempo que potente, envolvente, con notas de cuadra y animal, faisandaje, que dan paso a un barrido otoñal de sotobosque, musgo, múrgulas y un casi apunte mineral a polvorilla y fósforo que permanece presente en todo momento pero igualmente soterrado en último término. Atractivo, complejo, sacando una mezcla de maderas viejas y frutos en licor, ciruelas pasas, higos turcos, naranja escarchada, vainilla, secundada por arreos viejos, cuero, maromas de cáñamo... Muy completo!! En boca es ligero en la entrada pero dotado de nervio, frescor y una acidez de gran Rioja. De perfil muy clásico, aposentado, sedoso al tacto, redondo, con un ligero toque de dulcedumbre y vainilla seguido de amargosos de aúpa. Brilla a gran nivel, competo, sólido, ganando en profundidad copa a copa. La fruta roja se muestra reducidísima, fundida como pocas veces en las notas de cuero. Una de las cosechas menos conocidas de Viña Tondonia, de las menos habituales, que se nos había escapado hasta el momento. Ya no!! Ésta no tiene nada que envidiar a los gran reserva de 1970 o 1973. A diferencia de estas dos añadas se muestra más delicado, hasta el punto de llegar a confundirnos con el Bosconia de 1978. - - - Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 75% tempranillo, 15% garnacho, 5% graciano, 5% mazuelo - 12% vol. Permanece durante 6 meses en depósitos de madera de gran capacidad en los que acaba de realizar la fermentación maloláctica. Criado durante 9 años en viejas barricas de roble americano de 225 litros elaboradas por los toneleros de la misma bodega. El vino es sometido a 2 trasiegas manuales cada año. Clarificado con claras de huevo frescas. Embotellado directamente de la barrica. Sin filtrar. En este momento a todas las botellas se les coloca una cápsula de laca en el cuello que es substituida por una nueva cápsula de plomo cuando se procede al etiquetado. Producción limitada a 25.000 botellas. Descansa un mínimo de 60 meses en botellero en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (3588 views) | |
| Tasted by rebs1 on 11/21/2014 & rated 94 points: Had at Alta in NYC. Sorry to see the latest notes because our bottle was exceptional. More masculine than the '78 Bosconia we had with it. Plenty of red fruit, barnyard, leather, wood. If you like old rioja, Alta has an incredible list and very reasonably priced. (3350 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 11/3/2014 & rated 84 points: Good fading ruby color. Perfumed nose of black cherries, wet moss, horse leathers and ether. High-toned and crisp in texture with earthy flavors of taut cherries, wet hay and medicinal notes. The finish is a bit austere and lacks any complexity. I've had many off-bottles of '76 Tondonia but this bottle seems in perfect condition and the wine is less than stellar and past its best. 84- (2917 views) | |
| Tasted by alr6767 on 10/1/2014 & rated 89 points: No formal notes. Decanted 4 hours. This was a very good but not great GR. Although it was not offensive and offered typical rioja profile of tobacco, mint and pickled cherries, it didn't really evolve into much after significant air. In fact, it remained fairly simple and began going down hill towards the last glass or two. (2377 views) | |
| Tasted by tcosgriff on 12/2/2013 & rated 80 points: Almost brown color with little in the way of bouquet or flavor. This wine was quite lifeless. I am struck by the difference in description provided by other drinkers. Perhaps a bottle with questionable cellaring. (3296 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 4/10/2013 & rated 86 points: Seemingly a perfectly stored bottle with a high fill and a good, clean nose but this ultimately disappointed. I'm a big fan of these wines but I'm finding that they are best when released by the winery (I've had this in the cellar for about 8 years). It's always a high-acid wine but the level here was simply too high and while it did calm down some over time and with food, it still didn't show enough balancing fruit or complexity. Will try another bottle soon to be sure. (4364 views) | |
| Tasted by salil on 3/23/2013 & rated 95 points: Mature wines at Marco's (Milford, CT): One of the best aged Riojas I've had in some time; so elegant, refined and polished with a lovely mature sappiness and sweetness to the red fruit flavours, and layers of leather, cedar wood and higher toned herbal and floral notes accenting the core of fruit here. This seems to be at peak now and it's absolutely compelling to drink. (4974 views) | |
| Tasted by murph13 on 11/22/2012 & rated 95 points: From memory...Red cherry, signature Lopez barnyard, still bright acidity, light yet refined body. Not likely to improve with age, yet should still drink for the next few years. (3899 views) | |
| Tasted by Burgundy Al on 9/10/2012 & rated 92 points: Lieu-dit Cru "Blind White" Dinner Featured the Wine of Henri Boillot (L2O - Chicago IL): Aromas of mushroom, earth, leather, figs. Mature black fruit on paalte with very good textures, balance. Will keep for a long time going forward. Not quite as exciting as the 1976 Bosconia I've had a couple of times in the past year. (4179 views) | |
| Tasted by GrandeSerataFuori on 4/12/2012 & rated 91 points: Beautiful and soft. The softest Tondonia yet for me. It was so polite though, I was missing a little of the barnyard in it. Maybe that was just from my expectations. The wife adored it. (4618 views) | |
| Tasted by Seth Rosenberg on 12/19/2011 & rated 93 points: Acker BYO 2011 (Tribeca Grill): Brought by Matt N. Very bright on the nose - orange zest, stones and meat. Very stinky. Very mature on the palate - dusty and minerally. Secondary aromas and earth. Nice sweet strawberry finish with lots of acid. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16.5/20. (5136 views) | |
| Tasted by mxpbuy on 12/11/2011 & rated 90 points: Sampled 12/10/11. The wax capsule was in tact and hard but the cork was very easily depressed. Fortunately the wine was in tact and its interesting red/amber color was exactly as expected. The wine was soft and elegant but a tad simple. The wine is not a dense tempranillo / granache blend, it is almost thin but still lively fruit, leather, minerals and acidity. It gets an extra point for its ageworthiness, but it is a wine I won't seek out at auction. (4173 views) | |
| Tasted by mmrmag on 12/10/2011: clear brick red to pink/orange rim a little dried out, cherry leather short finish (4301 views) | |
| Tasted by floydtp on 6/25/2011 flawed bottle: CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a large wine dinner. Bottle was corked. It also had an interesting nose of crickets. (5897 views) | |
| Tasted by wineismylife on 6/25/2011 flawed bottle: CellarTracker Wisconsin Offline I - Part Three - Grand Finale (Madison, WI): WIMLNR Garnet color in the glass, slightly dusty looking. Unfortunately it stops right here. The bottle was corked. (5050 views) | |
| Tasted by cpsmith33 on 6/19/2011 & rated 89 points: great opportunity to try this wine. getting a bit older and syrupy. still has nice cherry and toffee characteristics. (3893 views) | |
| Tasted by Rangstrom on 5/19/2011 & rated 94 points: An excellent bottle, even if the cork turned to sawdust when I tried to remove it. Color was a light orange red and the wine itself was fairly clear with very little sediment. Nice nose of cherry, plum and tea. Still very flavorful; evocative of tart cherry. The clincher was the airy texture combined with the lively flavors. A palpable hit. (4141 views) | |
| Tasted by Seth Rosenberg on 3/23/2011 & rated 90 points: Cloudy appearance. Very bright nose - red fruit and strong minerals, older brown caramel. Leafy palate - herbal, Iron and blood. Lots of acid - ouch. Very Nuits/Gevery. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 15/20. (3687 views) | |
| Tasted by eric@cwm on 3/19/2011 & rated 95 points: Another great bottle of this. Red brick in the glass. Really fresh notes of cherry liquor, dried fruit and roasted chestnut (smells like a NYC street corner around the holidays). The cherry cordial flavors combine with nuts and wild herbs on the palate, with good weight, bright acidity and a long finish that brings hints of stone and carries the fruit to the end. This should drink well for another 20-30 years. (4239 views) | |
| Tasted by AndrewSGHall on 8/20/2010: Really good and on point. Bright acids, brick dust, leather and sour cherry. Very precise. (4624 views) | |
| Tasted by pbaek on 5/24/2010: Orange almost brown color upon opening. After a couple of hours in the glass, the color changed to almost deep red. Quite amazing. A very unique wine for sure. I smell dried roses on the nose. The aroma is intense and captivating. There is some sour cherry fruit as well along with cinnamon and a mark of chocolate. The wine is refined and elegant, yet penetrating on the palate. More rose petal, herbal tea and bitter, red fruit on the palate. Very complex wine. Mature, but still fresh. A serious wine, a wine one talks about and discusses. I liked it more than my parents and Susanne. (4612 views) | |
| Tasted by cgrimes on 1/30/2010 & rated 94 points: Ruby to brick red color. Nose of stewed cherries, leather, earth, mint. Similar on the palate with nice tart red cherry, stewed cherry, spice, mint, earth. Good acidity. Tannins completely resolved. Lovely mature wine. No bottle variation. (4825 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 10/16/2009 & rated 95 points: Wow, this is really good! Read Paul S's note below...he nailed the TN...why say more? :-) (4994 views) | |
| Tasted by Paul S on 6/20/2009 & rated 95 points: CT London Event (Hide Bar, Bermondsey, London): This was quite, quite stunning on the day. Orange brown colour showed its age, but it was alive and kicking in every other respect. Incredible nose that I could just have smelt all day. Rich plums, dark berries, rich earth and mushroom tones and a port-like dried fig note. All very lush, warm and rich. But it was on the palate where this really shown. Pure seduction - figs, prunes, dried cherries, orange peel, sour plums, haw flakes and spice, all dancing around in a complex movement with lots of fresh acidity. Silky smooth, great clarity and elegance, great balance. Was this ever alive! Beautiful length on the finish as well - more figs, lingering dried fruits and little whirls of tempranillo tobacco smoke. Charming and seductive to the end. This was as beautiful, developed and complete as an aged Rioja can get. (6882 views) | |
| Tasted by slogan on 5/23/2009 & rated 92 points: Opened this immediately prior to drinking. Cork was saturated, which caused alot of concern (at least for me). color was almost brown; tinted red/orange, no legs. Nice nose, but a little oxidized. On the palate (particularly with cuban pork) this was very nice flavors blended nicely, brining a nice finish to an excellent meal. Towards the end of the bottle, oxidation became pronounced, and overpowering. Still, for a 33 year-old bottle of wine, I am quite pleased. (4965 views) | |
| Tasted by salil on 3/5/2009 & rated 93 points: Lopez de Heredia dinner at Troquet (Boston, MA): Clear dark red colour with a stunning nose showing leather, cinnamon, cherry, earth and floral elements over faintly caramelized notes. Has a silky, light mouthfeel with more cherry, cranberry, leather and mushroom flavours on the palate, good acidity and grainy tannins on the back end. Picks up weight and length with air, giving the impression that there's still plenty of time ahead here. (5669 views) | |
| Tasted by slogan on 11/22/2008 & rated 90 points: Unbelievably high ullage. Opened easily enough. Decanted because it looked like some sediment was on the bottom, but nothing in the cheese cloth. A light almost orange-ish color, crystal clear. Very nice nose, with hints of strawberries. First taste a little passive, but well structured. flavor developed well over the next 30 minutes. A very mature wine, but nice nonetheless. (5045 views) | |
| Tasted by 5laton on 4/9/2008: López de Heredia dinner (Orson, San Francisco): Lifted aromas of strawberry, coconut, saddle leather. Sweet and vinous in the mouth, with sweet red dried strawberry, earth, tobacco and savory dried herbs. Nice broad midpalate and good if not great length. Very good. (5479 views) | |
| Tasted by BradKNYC on 3/7/2008: Chidaine, a Cuvee Buster, '86 Vega Sicilia and '76 Tondonia Chez Brad.: Just gorgeous aromatically. To start there's sweet red cherry aromas with baked clay, a touch of cocoanut and sweet spices before moving more into a leather and earthy character. On the palate it's like slipping into a worn leather easy chair that knows you well. It's soft and warm with an easy going character. Surprisingly supple upfront, though with air the wine picked up an orange citrus acidic character on the finish. Much more of a leather and earth persona than the nose indicated with just hints of cherry fruit. Much more intellectual than the Vega that followed, though not a better wine. Solid A-. (4197 views) | |
| Tasted by carlwhat on 1/28/2008: still very tasty. the nose had a bit of the barnyard funk, but on the palate the wine was still fresh and vibrant with a long finish. very, very enjoyable bottle of wine.... (5553 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 12/10/2007 & rated 92 points: Faded ruby color. Fabulous nose of earthy ripe cherries, dried herbs, tobacco and red spices. Quite high-toned and intense with lovely mature earthy/cherry Rioja flavors and a wonderful spice-infused finish. Has a wonderful silky mouth-feel with uplifting fresh acidity. This is a well-stored bottle of this wine and it should continue to age effortlessly. These wines are never overly complex but show amazing freshness and purity even with decades of age and the style is growing on me. (5433 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 8/17/2007 & rated 89 points: Very light but clear ruby color with a fair amount of fading. Fabulous nose of sweet red earth, cinamin spices, burnt orange peel and horse-hide. Lighter-bodied but builds to a rich, spicy, succulent finish. Quite lean rather than lush and finishes with an extra dimension of complex flavors that echo the nose. Soft and mature but still has some acidity. (5582 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 8/8/2007: Lopez de Heredia Vertical (NYC): Smooth and soft with a dark tar interior. Fairly complex, more than the Bosconia. B+ (6192 views) | |
| Tasted by Keith Levenberg on 8/8/2007 & rated 90 points: Mucho Lopez (Il Corso): This wine next to the Bosconia really dramatizes the difference between the two vineyards. This one is broader, harder, and larger in dimension although not as penetrating in flavor. It wafts out of you, whereas the Bosconia seeps into you. It finishes with vivid green tobacco and unfortunately reveals a bit of brett with some air, though fortunately not as much as the '85. Two out of eight called slight corkiness. I didn't see it but am happy to believe it could have shown better. (6705 views) | |
| Tasted by kevin h on 6/23/2007 & rated 89 points: This smelt rather old when opened. It did develop over 2 hours filling out and improving - strawberries, vanilla and mocha aromas and flavours. Subtle but not especially complex and rather too light and diffuse for my taste. (5065 views) | |
| Tasted by antiwood on 3/17/2007: Beautiful lighter ruby, some tinge of amber, but great clarity and fresh looking. Fresh forest floor, dried herbs, some sweetness as it opened up over a couple of hours. Lighter bodied, great elegance and grace of age, dried cherries, lovely balance and fully resolved, still amazingly fresh. A simply perfect wine for what it is. A fruitless woner. At Harvest Vine, Rick. (5048 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 1/28/2007 & rated 93 points: Tasted @ Hearth Restaurant, NYC. A beautiful, Burgundian-type wine but clearly a Rioja due to the funky, woodsy flavors. A high-acid wine but balanced beautifully by delicious, ripe dark cherry fruit. Lighter-bodied and not at all a modern concentrated blockbuster - in fact, this wine is the antithesis of today's Parkerized monsters and absolutely uplifting to drink. Strikingly fresh, intense and juicy. (4985 views) | |
| Tasted by richarmt on 7/22/2006 & rated 88 points: Cherry, leathery, vanilla, and hints of cocnut (probably form the barrels) and good condition; but short. Enjoyable and smooth. (5277 views) | |
| Tasted by Keith Levenberg on 5/19/2006 & rated 94 points: Hello, earth! Here's a vivid romp in the briar patch, with mushrooms and other aromas of the forest floor augmenting the surprisingly fresh apple and raspberry fruit. The texture has a Burgundian, or I might even say Bosconian, delicacy to it that delivers the earth to the palate in style. (5683 views) | |
| Tasted by br on 4/9/2006: Opened and "Audouzed" for 6 hours. A little musty smelling right after opening, but that quickly went away. Scents of dark cherries and leather and a bit of oxidation at first. With the small amount poured out into a glass, I was amazed at how deeply colored this wine was, though, naturally, there was bricking out towards the rim. As the wine opened up, more cherries and raspberries showed up. On the palate, flavors came and went throughout the evening and it had wonderful light weight in the mouth with nice acidity. When they were there, tastes of sweet cherries, raspberries and leather were delicious. The finish was a bit short. All in alll, a very nice wine, though not nearly as complex as I would have expected. (5325 views) | |
| Tasted by mrabinowitz on 4/2/2005: This was better than the '81. Nice fruit of cherries. Perfectly open after around 3 minutes out of the bottle. Just round and well structured. Not a very complex wine. Just perfect. Wow! (5783 views) |
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R. López de HerediaProducer WebsiteTempranillo BlendTempranillo is the backbone of wines made ihvhhcn the best well-known Spanish regions Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but is also grown as far afield as Mexico and Australia.As a flavor profile, red fruits like strawberries and cherries can predominate - but with a rustic edge. The Many wines made from Tempranillo will spend a few years in barrel and bottle before reaching the consumers . Many Tempranillo-based wines see a few years of oak - add that to a few years of bottle and the wine can give a subtle - and occasionaly not-so-subtle - leathery mouthfeel. The combination of the tart fruit and tannins make this wine very food friendly. Gran ReservaTradition Ascendant in RiojaBy ERIC ASIMOV August 11, 2009 One of my stops on my recent trip to Spain was Rioja, where I was able to spend quite a bit of time at the venerable winery López de Heredia, which is the focus of my column this week. As those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time may guess, I’ve had a long love affair with the wines of López de Heredia. In fact, my second post ever was about its wonderful rosado, which, unusually for any wine, let alone a rosé, is generally released when it’s about 10 years old. It’s almost reflexive when talking about López to describe it as classic or unyielding, because it is quite immune to the trend-following that so often guides decision-making in the world of wine. That is true. But it took me this visit to realize that in its own way, López de Heredia is now a cutting-edge winery. It’s a case of what goes around comes around, as forward-thinking winemakers have in many ways come around to López de Heredia’s ways of doing things. This is particularly true in the vineyard, where its gentle, natural viticultural approach is now the preferred approach my many of the world’s great producers. In the winery, it’s harder to say, except that Lopez’s gentle handling, reliance on natural yeasts and overall artisanal methods are likewise an ideal today. Of course, the fact that Lopez uses old barrels, including enormous wooden fermentation vessels that have been around almost as long as the 132-year-old winery itself, leaves a lot of room for debate. Very few producers use barrels that old, though one that comes to mind is Biondi Santi in Montalcino. Still, styles oscillate over the years, and I believe we are now retreating from an era of overly oaky wines, back to wines where the barrel regimen is as much if not more about imparting texture as it is flavor. In fact, oaky flavors can be important in López de Heredia wines. All you have to do is taste one of its wonderful older white wines, like the 1991 reserva, to taste the hazelnut, coconut flavors of American oak beautifully integrated with the wine. And if you ever get a chance to taste a rare 1964 white, as I did in Rioja, you will be rewarded with a rich, pure wine tasting almost entirely of minerals. The strange thing about López de Heredia is that because its wines have never changed, people tend to think of the company as a dour, humorless, rigid sort of place, haunted by the imperative of adhering to tradition. Nothing could be further from the truth. For instance, while the winery is largely a sturdy example of late 19th century architecture, the new boutique for visitors, designed by the Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, is fully in keeping with the non-linear architectural look of modern Rioja. It was in the boutique that I watched one afternoon as Maria José López de Heredia, along with her sister, Mercedes, and father, Pedro, about to turn 81, regaled tourists with a boisterous Spanish drinking song. Many people might be surprised, for example, at some of the winery’s plans for tourism. Maria José, who often takes the lead role in public but runs the winery with her sister, father and brother, Julio César, would like to build a little train line to take tourists back and forth between the winery and its most famous vineyard, Viña Tondonia, just across the Ebro River. “Why not?’’ she said. “It’s very important to teach people, and it’s easier to teach them if you give them a good time.’’ Of course, she has a serious reason as well. “It’s impossible for people to understand the soul of a wine if they don’t know how the grapes are grown,’’ she told me. For people who do have the opportunity to visit López de Heredia, doubtless the most striking moment is seeing the thousands of bottles of gran reserva wines, aging in a cellar covered in mold and cobwebs. For people who are used to the squeaky clean hygiene of New World cellars (or for somebody like my mother, for example, who did not permit dirt in her kitchen) such a sight might prove troubling. But the mold and cobwebs are typical of more than a few old Old World cellars, where they are considered an intrinsic part of the terroir. Maria José, for example, insists that the mold and webs are absolutely beneficial to the wines, and that cleaning them out under the mistaken notion of pursuing hygiene would have many unintended consequences. “It’s protection, not affliction!’’ she said, and I don’t doubt her. Her wines, at least, are paragons of purity. Viña TondoniaJay Miller in WA, June 2010A 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-info SpainVinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | WikipediaWine 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 RiojaConsejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. RiojaMap on weinlagen-info La Rioja AltaMap on weinlagen-infoRiojaConsejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. RiojaHISTORY 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 |