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White

1981 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia

White Blend

  • Spain
  • La Rioja
  • La Rioja Alta
  • Rioja
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CT92.2 139 reviews
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Community Tasting Notes 127

  • ekorn Likes this wine:

    September 17, 2023 - Bought from a private cellar. This was opened at fridge temperature, then left to warm up for a 30 minutes or so before it was first poured. This continued to improve over the course of the night, and was best -- with a more open nose and better balance on the palate -- around 3 hours after being opened.

    On the nose, nutty sherry-like notes with some graham cracker spice. The palate brought streaky acid and a long, somewhat honeyed finish.

  • jkoenen wrote: 95 points

    April 25, 2023 - Still improved with air!
    Up a notch.

    1 person found this helpful Comment
  • FEDEVIDAL Likes this wine: 99 points

    December 5, 2022 - Uno de los mejores vinos blancos del mundo. Indescriptible. Inmortal

  • cbforever1 wrote: 97 points

    November 23, 2022 - What a wine!

    1 person found this helpful Comment
  • gudetama wrote: 99 points

    April 27, 2022 - This was amazing. Still has a lot left. So much cedar, saffron, and grandma's house (that's what everyone kept thinking) on it. Stunning wine!

1 - 5 of 127 More notes

Pro Reviews 7

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View From the Cellar

  • By John Gilman
    Jan/Feb 2009, Issue #19, López de Heredia: Rioja’s Great Bastion of Tradition

    (Viña Tondonia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva- López de Heredia) Subscribe to see review text.

Vinous

  • By Antonio Galloni
    The Wines of López de Heredia: 1954–1998 (Oct 2006) (link)

    (Lopez De Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva) Subscribe to see review text.

  • By Josh Raynolds
    September/October 2006, IWC Issue #128 (link)

    (R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva) Subscribe to see review text.

RJonWine.com

  • By Richard Jennings
    10/11/2011 (link) 92 points

    (R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia) Medium gold color with 2 millimeter clear meniscus; savory, lemon tajine, cumin nose; tasty, mature, lightly oily textured, resolved, tart lemon, baked lemon, cumin, mineral palate with medium acidity; long finish 92+ points (85% Viura, 15% Malvasia)

Wine Library TV

  • By Gary Vaynerchuk
    Rioja Wine. Everyone is asking so here you go, Episode #239, 5/21/2007 (link) 90 points

    (LOPEZ DE HEREDIA TONDONIA BLANCO RIOJA GRAN RESERVA) #4 COLOR-medium amber, viscous; NOSE-intriguing--petrol, burnt rubber, little hints of fresh peaches, green peas, vegetable oil (99% would not like); TASTE-intriguing sour lemon, great acidity, nice structure, has a sherry-esque flavor profile, Older white wine, nice nutmeg & walnuts, very different, I like, but many would think it was spoiled, likely past it's prime, should be drank/drunk? in next 2 years; AG-93; GV-90

Rockss and Fruit

  • By Lyle Fass
    1/20/2005 (link)

    (Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco) Yellow flowers, petrol, caramel, beeswax, mineral, and a slight sweet brown sugar component. Very interesting nose and became increasingly more complex with air even taking on a floral bouquet complexity. Subtle and elegant with an incredible freshness and length. Great complexity and fruit. Incredible acidity and laser like focus. This is a baby on the palate yet pretty well developed on the nose. Excellent wine. Unique.

  • By Lyle Fass
    1/20/2005 (link)

    (Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco) The best white from Spain by far. Yellow flowers, petrol, caramel, beeswax, mineral, and a slight sweet brown sugar component. Very interesting nose and became increasingly more complex with air even taking on a floral bouquet complexity. Subtle and elegant with an incredible freshness and length. Great complexity and fruit. Incredible acidity and laser like focus. This is a baby on the palate yet pretty well developed on the nose. Excellent wine. Unique.

Wine Definition

  • Vintage 1981
  • Type White
  • Producer R. López de Heredia
  • Varietal White Blend
  • Designation Blanco Gran Reserva
  • Vineyard Viña Tondonia
  • Country Spain
  • Region La Rioja
  • SubRegion La Rioja Alta
  • Appellation Rioja
  • UPC Code 721384040047

Community Holdings

  • Pending Delivery 2 (0%)
  • In Cellars 428 (56%)
  • Consumed 339 (44%)

Food Pairing

No food pairings available.

Who Likes This Wine

100% Like It  24 votes

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