November 19, 2023 - Ye Paulee (Hao Noodle): Lovely aromatics but weight lacking. 92-93
July 30, 2023 - Aged Riojas needs air time to blossom but I haven’t had experience with one this old so I wasn’t so sure. Fortunately this followed the plot and didn’t simply implode on sight. Was out in full force probably 3 hours in. The nose had coffee, cocoa powder, sandalwood and aged cigar. Not much fruits left to speak of, just layers and layers of mellow tertiaries and latent acid carrying the wine through.
July 30, 2023 - Tondonia always delivers. It was a bit awkward and weird at the start but after some air, it opened beautifully. Such a gorgeous wine!
July 29, 2023 - C & YM Birthday Dinner (Empire Chinese Cuisine): Blind. Chinese herbs, liquorice, med acid, bitter grainy finish, some heat. At the end of the night on 2nd pour, raisin, tea, more integrated and enjoyable but bitter finish still obvious.
July 29, 2023 - Birthday celebration for C/Y: Rather oxidised with coffee notes at the start but surprisingly became more alive with air. A regal, stately wine with tertiary notes and not much fruit to speak of, but loved the harmonious elegance on this. A real treat.
May 21, 2023 - A Tasting of 1964 Gran Reserva Rioja and Even Older White Rioja! (Los Gatos, California): Pale with browning edge. Complex scents of balsam wood, spice, red fruit, and celery stalk. Light to medium bodied, excellent acidity, and the fruit gradually sweetens. Elegant, subtle, long, and mineral. Excellent and very much in keeping with the lean Tondonia style. My only quibble was an off note in the finish that deprived it of some harmony.
June 22, 2022 - A private dinner (Scharzhof, Wiltingen, Germany): Acidic, hugely expressive but clearly volatile nose, has lost its fruit but lives on, armed and guarded by its steely acidity.
June 4, 2021 - Tip top condition. Opened at 7pm, started to sing at 8pm and still going strong at 10pm. Quite feminine and ethereal but will a sprinkle of earth. Everything an old Rioja from a great year should be. Love it.
February 26, 2020 - The nose was nice with hints of sweet tobacco but the palate was a little thin, with light cherry aromas and some tobacco with medium acidity. Maybe there are better bottles out there but this one was tired. Still enjoyable for a 55 year old wine.
June 3, 2017 - Very dark and only slightly translucent color with a developed, figgy maroon hue. Very developed, even somewhat old nose with mature aromas of dried cherries, some cooked sweet bell pepper, a little bit of smoke, a hint of earth, a touch of coffee grounds and nuances of raisins without any raisiny sweetness. Nicely robust aroma, although obviously on the "very old" department - yet not dead and dull! On the palate the wine feels very mature, silky and savory with complex flavors of raisins, earthy spices, dried sour cherries, some bitterness, a little bit of salt-cured meat and a streak of soy sauce. The wine feels quite high in acidity and also moderately tannic, giving it quite remarkable structure given the age. The finish is long and savory with almost umami flavors of dried cherries, some soy sauce, a little bit of earthy spices, a hint of sweet smoke and a touch of beef jerky.
Very classy and harmonious for a RLdH with 50 years of age. Perhaps borderline past its peak or even starting its downhill, but still in a remarkably great condition. In a tasting of Tondonia GR 1964, 1970 and 1973 this wine suffered a bit on comparison, because the two wines from the 1970's felt a lot more youthful compared to this one. Very lovely stuff, but I'd say better drink up soon. Supposedly this cost only 25€, giving the wine just ridiculous QPR.