Community Tasting Notes (8) Avg Score: 91.6 points

  • Amazing amount of fruit for a 38 year old wine. You can taste the coffee/toffee start to creep in but it only added to the experience. Oak is present and balanced. This wine held up very well.

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  • Although the label doesn't say anything about Reserva, this is technically the same thing as Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva. It just wasn't labeled as such back then. 12% alcohol.

    Evolved, medium-deep brick-red color with a slightly brownish-maroon hue. The nose feels noticeably rustic and funky with rather brett-driven aromas of lambic-like phenolic spice, some sweaty saddle leather tones, a little bit of wizened red fruit, light earthy notes, a hint of wizened figs and a touch of barnyard. Very old-school Rioja nose here. The wine feels evolved and somewhat rustic on the palate yet wonderfully silky in texture. The overall feel is medium-bodied and balanced with flavors of bretty saddle leather and phenolic spice, some sweet notes of wizened figs, a little bit of hay, light pruney notes of dried red plums, a hint of earth and a touch of farmhouse funk. As the ripe and fully resolved tannins don't really retain any grip and only contribute to the silky texture of the wine, the structure relies mostly on the bright, high acidity. The finish is long, evolved and complex with a dry, layered aftertaste of dried figs, some bretty notes of saddle leather and stable floor, light pruney notes of wizened red plums, a little bit of earth, a hint of raisiny dark fruit and a touch of sweet exotic spices.

    A terrific, nuanced and wonderfully evolved old Tondonia Reserva. For some reason most people thought this was over the peak, but I think they confused the surprisingly pronounced bretty notes with oxidative aromas - having tasted a good number of too old Tondonias that have been way over the hill, this was anything but! Apart from the rather pronounced bretty notes which were heavily in the leather-and-barnyard spectrum, the wine retained a great deal of vibrant, somewhat sweet-toned fruit that married with those rustic, funky notes of brett remarkably well. I guess this wine might've been too funky for people who want their wines squeaky clean, but I loved this wine big time! Most likely this wine won't go anywhere from here but down, so there is no need to age it any further - but I doubt this wine is going to fall apart anytime soon, either. If it has kept this well until now, it won't turn bad in just few years. However, I still encourage to pop any remaining bottles sooner rather than later.

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  • 2 hours open before 4 hour decant. Blast of burnt caramel straight away on the nose, then dried rose petals, wet undergrowth, tree sap, then kind of like smoked toffee or something. I’ve never smelled anything like it. Raspberry the dominant fruit on the palette. Also green coffee, tree sap and balsamic. The nose is the star of the show.

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  • Stood up for a week. Upper top shoulder. A soft, slightly saturated cork with signs of seepage broken upon opening. Two hour slow oxidation followed by a three hour decant. Showing some age with a pale garnet core fading to a tawny outer edge. Opens up with red plum skin, dried red berries, cracked vintage leather, dried violets, and a feint hint of marzipan. With time in the decanter more layerd and complex aromas of burnt caramel, bitter cocoa nib, ground espresso beans, rusty nails, and damp, decayed autumn leaves start to develop. A less complex yet classical palate of tart red and black fruits and cracked vintage leather. While some of the concentration of yesteryear has faded this still presents as a very charming, aged Rioja.

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  • Much better than past bottle. This was fresh and wonderful. Should plateau in a year or so, but was great now on it's way up.

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  • Upon first scent, this appeared to be bad but that turned out to be maderized wine along the rim as the cork had receded about a half inch into the bottle. After careful cork removal and about 10 minutes of air, everything changed.

    Nose was classic Rioja. Leather, dried fruit, and a hint of vanilla.

    Mouth feel was thinner than expected, more to the light side of medium, but not watery. Flavor was very good. Dried cherries, tobacco, leather, citrus, and a nice bit of acid left to hold it all together. I will say that this seems to be at peak or perhaps a little after. The citrus has become a bit pithy on the back of the tongue and is showing a bit of wear. '85 was a decent vintage but not one of the greats, so this is not shocking. Drink if you got 'em!

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  • Classic old school vino from LDH that was amazingly fresh, vibrant and sensual. Great old cigar, leather, dried cherry, hint of vanilla sweetness and a long finish. Elegant, refined, lighter after 30 years than brasher initial Rioja Reserva wine.

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  • So, my mum (I think you guys call it a mom in America) bought me back a few botts that are hard to find in Oz recently. I sent her into Woodland Hills wines (strong affiliation, they are sending me 50 bucks for every bottle they sell to thank me for talking up this wine) to collect the 1985 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva, a glorious bottle which we duly drank last night. I’m assuming it was a recent museum release as the wine was in terrific nick. Gorgeous aromatics that remind one of perfectly aged Cote de Nuits (think freshly tilled earth, decaying leaf, pine needle sap, hoisin and Indian spices). In the mouth it is bright and energetic, only a modest 12% alcohol but also rich and with good density. There’s a nice line of minerally acidity and it possesses a fine silky texture. Any of you west coast Burg lovers would be mad not to get into Woodland Hills today and clean them out of the remaining botts of this beauty.

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