Charleston VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): I am not always a fan of the old Rioja's but this was probably one of the best that I've ever had. Bottles were immaculate and the wine was really bright and vibrant and also a bit different. Lots of toffee and nougat and not sweet but a hint of a sweet if that makes sense. Towards the end got some coffee as well. Not standard rioja at all, but quite nice.
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Incredible bottle. Strong and distinct nose of cappuccino and coffee ice cream at first. Opened up into black tea. Complex and totally clean. Not tired in the slightest bit, just charting its own course as it travels through time in elegant splendor. Incredibly mellow on the palate with great balance. Wow.
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Starts with a deep garnet robe and no signs of browning at the rim. This showed a bit slight and simple at first, slightly maderized nose, which blew off over about 30 minutes.
Red plum, herbs, and cherries with moderate acidity and a simple finish, the palate also took time to develop. Fresh but restrained, this was a charmer not a shower. Fully mature today but would hang on another few years, good today.
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What a nose! Amazing perfume of everything you'd want and more in a Rioja, or any red wine. Mature, lots of tertiary things going on, mult-faceted, just an absolute pleasure to smell and to drink. Unfortunately with time in the glass, the nose faded and the wine dried out a bit on the palate -- so please, do NOT decant. Next morning, I could still "taste" this wine -- that's how long the flavors lingered.
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Color picota claro muy atejado, incluso blanco en el borde, poco color, pero muy brillante Aroma absolutamente terciario , cuero viejo, pimienta, madera vieja y va evolucionando hacia bosque húmedo, tierra negra, tabaco y café y al final produce unas notas licorosas como de higos u orejones al licor.
La boca es suave y delicada, como acostumbra a suceder en estos viejos LdH, el cuerpo es delgado, pero de estructura férrea, tiene un enorme equilibrio, energía, presencia y al mismo tiempo suavidad y elegancia. Sorprendentemente mantiene una alta acidez y le dará vida para algún decenio más. En boca sensaciones vagas de fruta negra licorosa, con un largo final.
Estos Riojas viejos son un milagro de la naturaleza
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Definitely has seen better days. Dark cherry and tobacco, but that's it. Acidity and tannins on the lighter side. Really wanted to enjoy this wine, but didn't live up to my expectations. Still, a drinkable wine despite it's simplicity.
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11x Mature Rioja (1928-1999): Three Tondonia Grand Reservas tasted side by side. All three showed impressively that the Tondonias can age gracefully for decades. They all showed surprisingly fresh and with lots of fruit with probably a bit more tertiary aromas missing for the best possible harmony and complexity. To the wines: True to the vintage hierarchy, this was a clear win for the 1970 (rated 94+ pts) which delivered a convincing performance with lots of fresh fruit, good complexity, high precision, fine structure with lots of tension. I’m convinced that this could have achieved a 95-97 pts rating If I would have been able to follow it over one or the other hour. The 1980 (rated 92 pts) showed the same freshness and also a lot of fruit but it is a touch too ripe and lost a bit of its tension towards the finish and with some time. The 1954 (rated 89 pts) was did not have fully clean lines and was missing a bit of substance.
TN: At first this showed quite powerful and dense with lots of dark forest berries, which are very ripe, lots of honey and some herbal notes and touches of minerality on the nose and palate. Not as complex as the 1970 in the next glass but also quite precise. Round tannins, a high but not perfectly integrated acidity and a nice creamy texture with not too much weight. With more air it got a bit unbalanced and watery towards the finish. But before that this was drinking easily on a 91/92 pts level. Overall, a solid wine but probably not a vintage to keep for another decade or two.
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Old Rioja tasting: Old Rioja tasting, privately organized. Even though 3 out of 11 bottles were flawed, the tasting was once more testament to the outstanding ageability of Rioja. While clearly not a representative sample, the Tondonias were all intact while 2 out of 3 CVNEs were flawed. That said, where the one that was still intact (1964) easily beat the Tondonia. The WOTN was neither, however, but a Paternina from 1928 (95). Third time having this wine and this bottle was somewhere in between of the previous ones (91-95).
Tasting note: A slow-burner, gaining intensity over time in the glass. Shows a nice array of aging notes of leather, earth and sous-bois, but also rose petals, schist minerality and bouquet of mixed red and blue berries. Not overly complex on the palate, but with sufficient tension and a pretty long finish. This wasn’t as expressive as the 64, but came across elegant and refined which in my view put this one on top of the 1954, 1964 and 1980 flight.
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Leather and earth; light saline and cherry-blackberry; balanced and complex; smooth and lean; velvety; outstanding long sweet soft light cherry finish.
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13x 1980 Birthday Bash: Tasted blind. This was a bit of disappointment given that a bottle we had year ago showed more intense, clean and layered. Storage is key and the bottle last year came from a perfect cellar in the Rioja region and has been consumed in a restaurant in the region. I guess, this bottle was not stored as well.
TN: Barnyard, leather and coffee aromas dominate the nose. More red fruit completing the picture on the palate. The intensity, complexity and the precision are on a subpar level. In addition the wine had some hard edges and got an overall rather rustic feel.
Decanting: Double decanted 4+ hours before service (seems ok, although the bottle last year didn’t need any decanting).
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"You only turn 40 once tasting" (At home): Double decanted. Nice, fresh and fruity with red berry fruit and just a tad of leather. Fresh on the plate as well although with a much thinner texture, lighter structure and less intense aroma profile than the last bottle I had about a year ago in Spain.
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Spain Trip (w/ some Rioja gems): This is a very mature Rioja reminiscent of a mature Bordeaux. It has still legs to further develop for many years but the fruit is a bit too ripe and it doesn‘t have the tension to play in the 97+ category. Still a very good wine. 94 to 95 points.
TN: Fine tobacco, vanilla, cola around a very ripe fruit core on the nose. Very ripe and dried fruit on the palate, along very fine tobacco, fresh and roasted herbs, cola, earth, leather, with time some more coffee and fresh earth. The structure is impeccable with melted tannins and a good freshness. The rather high alcohol is perfectly masked. Good length.
Decanting: No extensive decant needed.
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Drank along a dinner at Mugariz. An intense fruit core of dried strawberries, leather, earth and fine tobacco fresh out of the pipe box, fine spices. Also cigar box, coca cola and just a bit of mocha. Perfect harmony on the palate and a long finish. Still fresh acidty with tannins molten away entirely. A Burgundian type grande dame.
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In my cellar since 2013, I think ex-winery at that point, but not sure. This was gloriously complex and aromatic. Decanted at 4:30pm and tasted through 11pm. It is a translucent light to medium garnet with a decidedly brick edge. The nose and palate are amazingly layered and complex with changes every 30 minutes or so. Flavors and aromas ranged from barnyard and “sous bois” to bacon, chocolate, game meat, black cherry, smoke, cigar tobacco, raisins, balsamic, herbs (rosemary and tarragon) and saddle leather. Complex and layered with a finish that went on and on. Velvety soft on the tongue and yet bright with acidity. It went well with grilled Chinese five spice rubbed pork chop, sesame rice and Asian glazed Brussels sprouts. The wine was probably best at about the 2-3 hour point. Truly Exceptional!
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Tertiary notes, animal, smoke, earth, maybe some mocha. Forest fruits. Garrigue wild herbs. Still tremendously rich and fruity. Lovely acidity. Still has time ahead, maybe another 5-10 years.
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Espectacular. Cárnica, floral, especias de Navidad. Muy cerca del volátil como la del 81. Eso también hace grandes a estos "vinos finos". Al paladar se muestra elegante con una adecuada longitud y bastante profundidad. Multifacética. De un postgusto casi eterno. Mi elección de la noche.
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The nose showed dark earth and undergrowth with notes of dried strawberry and hints of dusty exotic spice. On the palate, it was unexpectedly fresh with perfectly resolved tannin displaying notes of dried cherry and inner floral tones on a feminine frame. The finish was medium in length as hints of dried fruits and floral undergrowth lingered.
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Bit opaque with hints of orange brick on the rim. Rioja all the way. Still has notes if dill. Sweet cherry then some leather and hints of tobacco and cedar wood. Silky palate. Tangy cherry. Slight leather finishes dry with good acidity."
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Old musty cellar nose, full of sweet strawberry and tobacco and old oak, but somewhat one-dimensional for this wine in other vintages. Long and finely sweet, this is a great wine but not a great Tondonia.
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Mature Rioja tasting at The Sampler (The Sampler, South Kensington): Slightly dusty mature Rioja nose. Too warm. Lacks the usual orange peel and freshness. A touch of tomato too with a slightly vegetal edge. A little flat and flabby. If representative, not a great Tondo. Probably the best wine of the flight, but disappointing for what it is/could have been. *** 87
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Nariz delicada que va de menos a mucho más al respirar. Inicialmente predomina una brumosa nota reductiva a cuero viejo, pimienta negra, esparto, maderos envinados, que se disipa de forma paulatina ofreciendo un paisaje húmedo (monte umbrío, corteza de nogal) de gran belleza. Tondonia de corte clásico, del todo reconocible, lleno de matices de fruta pasa (ciruelas, higos) que va sumándose a notas abocadas, melaza, tabaco, cascarilla de naranja, granos de café, tostados cremosos...
En boca parece delgado al tacto pero para nada!! Va ganando empaque: seco, concentrado, de fuerte acidez, con un tostado aún presente apoyado en puntas de vainilla, sabroso. Lo que sigue es de gran equilibrio. Amplio, vivo, con mucha energía. Una de esas cosechas que prácticamente no se comercializó en España y de las que únicamente hay unas pocas botellas disponibles. Y no por ello es un vino menor. Para nada!! Probado junto a un inmenso Imperial Gran Reserva de la misma cosecha ha sabido brillar al mismo nivel, cada cual con sus armas.
- - - Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 80% tempranillo, 10% garnacho, 5% graciano, 5% mazuelo - 12% vol. Permanece durante 6 meses en grandes depósitos de madera en los que acaba de realizar la fermentación maloláctica y se estabiliza antes de ser trasegado para su posterior crianza. Madura durante un total de 6 años en viejas barricas usadas 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. Lacrado especial para favorecer su mejor evolución en botella y preservarlo de contaminaciones. Un mínimo de 44 meses de guarda en botellero en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Clearly a wonderful wine (if you like this sort of thing) yet overshadowed by the 1976, so needing more time. Sounds strange to say that a 34 year old wine needs just a touch more time but there it is. Close to peaking but not quite. Either way, your going to have a great drinking experience.
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Bodegas Lopez de Heredia, Hosted by Maria-Jose Lopez de Heredia (Berry Bros & Rudd, London): WOTN even taking into account the majestic 1964. Similar to the 1981 with a lovely rich core of fruit yet this was supremely balanced and elegant. The 81 had the power while this one had the more complete elegant profile. Very much alive and with lots of life ahead. Well secondary of course with good earthy tones. Just a beautiful wine. 95
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Well I thought this was just beautiful wine. Harmonious, smooth on the palate with age, and a lengthy finish. The palate has "burned off" the fig and walnut character that I get in many younger Heredias so that it now just a background note to the sweet / sour cherry note of Tempranillo. Certainly ready to drink but to my palate still incredibly youthful. Need more.
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Quite an amazing Rioja. Significant dried fruit and a hint of dill on the nose. Incredibly smooth on the palate, with dark cherry fruit, a note of vanilla and mild acidity. A great example of how quality Rioja can age with grace.
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Deep crimson robe, fruity and inviting nose, a very well balanced palate with melted tannins offering a stroganoff backbone for the fruit to express itself very elegantly. Tasted alongside the 1981, an the 1985 and was clearly the best
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Dinner with Eric and Jonathan (富瑤酒家): gloriously exotic nose of sweet earth and wild strawberries. reminds me of an old hermitage or CDP but sweeter and lighter.
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11/4/2022 - S1 Likes this wine:
Charleston Offlineorama VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Various locations): Beautiful. Bright reds fruits, sweet coffee, tobacco. Teases sweet and then eases in the savory. Pristine bottles.
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11/4/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston VII; 11/2/2022-11/6/2022 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): I am not always a fan of the old Rioja's but this was probably one of the best that I've ever had. Bottles were immaculate and the wine was really bright and vibrant and also a bit different. Lots of toffee and nougat and not sweet but a hint of a sweet if that makes sense. Towards the end got some coffee as well. Not standard rioja at all, but quite nice.
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5/10/2022 - Madera16 wrote:
Incredible bottle. Strong and distinct nose of cappuccino and coffee ice cream at first. Opened up into black tea. Complex and totally clean. Not tired in the slightest bit, just charting its own course as it travels through time in elegant splendor. Incredibly mellow on the palate with great balance. Wow.
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4/17/2022 - SoundinBetween wrote:
Starts with a deep garnet robe and no signs of browning at the rim. This showed a bit slight and simple at first, slightly maderized nose, which blew off over about 30 minutes.
Red plum, herbs, and cherries with moderate acidity and a simple finish, the palate also took time to develop. Fresh but restrained, this was a charmer not a shower. Fully mature today but would hang on another few years, good today.
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4/10/2022 - SurfBurg wrote: 96 Points
What a nose! Amazing perfume of everything you'd want and more in a Rioja, or any red wine. Mature, lots of tertiary things going on, mult-faceted, just an absolute pleasure to smell and to drink. Unfortunately with time in the glass, the nose faded and the wine dried out a bit on the palate -- so please, do NOT decant. Next morning, I could still "taste" this wine -- that's how long the flavors lingered.
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1/1/2022 - FEDEVIDAL Likes this wine: 96 Points
Color picota claro muy atejado, incluso blanco en el borde, poco color, pero muy brillante Aroma absolutamente terciario , cuero viejo, pimienta, madera vieja y va evolucionando hacia bosque húmedo, tierra negra, tabaco y café y al final produce unas notas licorosas como de higos u orejones al licor.
La boca es suave y delicada, como acostumbra a suceder en estos viejos LdH, el cuerpo es delgado, pero de estructura férrea, tiene un enorme equilibrio, energía, presencia y al mismo tiempo suavidad y elegancia. Sorprendentemente mantiene una alta acidez y le dará vida para algún decenio más. En boca sensaciones vagas de fruta negra licorosa, con un largo final.
Estos Riojas viejos son un milagro de la naturaleza
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12/19/2021 - thadiesel3 wrote: 85 Points
Definitely has seen better days. Dark cherry and tobacco, but that's it. Acidity and tannins on the lighter side. Really wanted to enjoy this wine, but didn't live up to my expectations. Still, a drinkable wine despite it's simplicity.
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11/29/2021 - G_H wrote: 91 Points
Quite pretty and much more intense and present than the other tondonias, this had lots of honey, some orange, iodine and chocolate.
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11/29/2021 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
11x Mature Rioja (1928-1999): Three Tondonia Grand Reservas tasted side by side. All three showed impressively that the Tondonias can age gracefully for decades. They all showed surprisingly fresh and with lots of fruit with probably a bit more tertiary aromas missing for the best possible harmony and complexity. To the wines: True to the vintage hierarchy, this was a clear win for the 1970 (rated 94+ pts) which delivered a convincing performance with lots of fresh fruit, good complexity, high precision, fine structure with lots of tension. I’m convinced that this could have achieved a 95-97 pts rating If I would have been able to follow it over one or the other hour. The 1980 (rated 92 pts) showed the same freshness and also a lot of fruit but it is a touch too ripe and lost a bit of its tension towards the finish and with some time. The 1954 (rated 89 pts) was did not have fully clean lines and was missing a bit of substance.
TN: At first this showed quite powerful and dense with lots of dark forest berries, which are very ripe, lots of honey and some herbal notes and touches of minerality on the nose and palate. Not as complex as the 1970 in the next glass but also quite precise. Round tannins, a high but not perfectly integrated acidity and a nice creamy texture with not too much weight. With more air it got a bit unbalanced and watery towards the finish. But before that this was drinking easily on a 91/92 pts level. Overall, a solid wine but probably not a vintage to keep for another decade or two.
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10/28/2021 - Biskuit Likes this wine: 94 Points
Glorious, benefits greatly from food
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10/27/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Old Rioja tasting: Old Rioja tasting, privately organized. Even though 3 out of 11 bottles were flawed, the tasting was once more testament to the outstanding ageability of Rioja. While clearly not a representative sample, the Tondonias were all intact while 2 out of 3 CVNEs were flawed. That said, where the one that was still intact (1964) easily beat the Tondonia. The WOTN was neither, however, but a Paternina from 1928 (95). Third time having this wine and this bottle was somewhere in between of the previous ones (91-95).
Tasting note:
A slow-burner, gaining intensity over time in the glass. Shows a nice array of aging notes of leather, earth and sous-bois, but also rose petals, schist minerality and bouquet of mixed red and blue berries. Not overly complex on the palate, but with sufficient tension and a pretty long finish. This wasn’t as expressive as the 64, but came across elegant and refined which in my view put this one on top of the 1954, 1964 and 1980 flight.
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1/28/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Leather and earth; light saline and cherry-blackberry; balanced and complex; smooth and lean; velvety; outstanding long sweet soft light cherry finish.
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10/12/2020 - Cailles wrote: 89 Points
13x 1980 Birthday Bash: Tasted blind. This was a bit of disappointment given that a bottle we had year ago showed more intense, clean and layered. Storage is key and the bottle last year came from a perfect cellar in the Rioja region and has been consumed in a restaurant in the region. I guess, this bottle was not stored as well.
TN: Barnyard, leather and coffee aromas dominate the nose. More red fruit completing the picture on the palate. The intensity, complexity and the precision are on a subpar level. In addition the wine had some hard edges and got an overall rather rustic feel.
Decanting: Double decanted 4+ hours before service (seems ok, although the bottle last year didn’t need any decanting).
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9/19/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 91 Points
"You only turn 40 once tasting" (At home): Double decanted. Nice, fresh and fruity with red berry fruit and just a tad of leather. Fresh on the plate as well although with a much thinner texture, lighter structure and less intense aroma profile than the last bottle I had about a year ago in Spain.
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8/29/2020 - mclancy10006 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine has found what it can be and that is fabulous. A bit mellow but balanced with depth of flavor and a lot going on.
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8/30/2019 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
Spain Trip (w/ some Rioja gems): This is a very mature Rioja reminiscent of a mature Bordeaux. It has still legs to further develop for many years but the fruit is a bit too ripe and it doesn‘t have the tension to play in the 97+ category. Still a very good wine. 94 to 95 points.
TN: Fine tobacco, vanilla, cola around a very ripe fruit core on the nose. Very ripe and dried fruit on the palate, along very fine tobacco, fresh and roasted herbs, cola, earth, leather, with time some more coffee and fresh earth. The structure is impeccable with melted tannins and a good freshness. The rather high alcohol is perfectly masked. Good length.
Decanting: No extensive decant needed.
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8/28/2019 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Drank along a dinner at Mugariz. An intense fruit core of dried strawberries, leather, earth and fine tobacco fresh out of the pipe box, fine spices. Also cigar box, coca cola and just a bit of mocha. Perfect harmony on the palate and a long finish. Still fresh acidty with tannins molten away entirely. A Burgundian type grande dame.
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4/20/2019 - oldwines Likes this wine: 96 Points
In my cellar since 2013, I think ex-winery at that point, but not sure. This was gloriously complex and aromatic. Decanted at 4:30pm and tasted through 11pm. It is a translucent light to medium garnet with a decidedly brick edge. The nose and palate are amazingly layered and complex with changes every 30 minutes or so. Flavors and aromas ranged from barnyard and “sous bois” to bacon, chocolate, game meat, black cherry, smoke, cigar tobacco, raisins, balsamic, herbs (rosemary and tarragon) and saddle leather. Complex and layered with a finish that went on and on. Velvety soft on the tongue and yet bright with acidity. It went well with grilled Chinese five spice rubbed pork chop, sesame rice and Asian glazed Brussels sprouts. The wine was probably best at about the 2-3 hour point. Truly Exceptional!
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12/5/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light with raisen and earth; balanced; integrated; mature; slightly beyond window; soft; lean; light texture; light fruit and moderate finish.
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3/31/2017 - moods wrote: 93 Points
Tertiary notes, animal, smoke, earth, maybe some mocha. Forest fruits. Garrigue wild herbs. Still tremendously rich and fruity. Lovely acidity. Still has time ahead, maybe another 5-10 years.
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2/3/2017 - sphBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful aged Rioja . Bricking and an older lower alcohol style but full of fruit . Good balance and length .
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10/6/2016 - Harley1199 Likes this wine: 95 Points
López de Heredia - Viña Tondonia Tasting Event (Bodega Santa Cecilia - Madrid): Meat spectacular floral Christmas spices near the volatile as 81. That's also great for these 'fine wines'.
On the palate is elegant with fine length and depth. Multilayered. Eternal aftertaste. My choice.
Espectacular. Cárnica, floral, especias de Navidad. Muy cerca del volátil como la del 81. Eso también hace grandes a estos "vinos finos".
Al paladar se muestra elegante con una adecuada longitud y bastante profundidad. Multifacética. De un postgusto casi eterno. Mi elección de la noche.
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10/6/2016 - Harley1199 wrote: flawed
López de Heredia - Viña Tondonia Tasting Event (Bodega Santa Cecilia - Madrid): Slightly corked.
Ligeramente con olor a corcho.
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3/28/2016 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose showed dark earth and undergrowth with notes of dried strawberry and hints of dusty exotic spice. On the palate, it was unexpectedly fresh with perfectly resolved tannin displaying notes of dried cherry and inner floral tones on a feminine frame. The finish was medium in length as hints of dried fruits and floral undergrowth lingered.
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12/8/2015 - sphBacchus wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing . Thin and rather flat . Brown bricking out of the bottle . Passed it's best or not a good vintage - we'll never know .
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7/14/2015 - Camacho Likes this wine:
Bit opaque with hints of orange brick on the rim. Rioja all the way. Still has notes if dill. Sweet cherry then some leather and hints of tobacco and cedar wood. Silky palate. Tangy cherry. Slight leather finishes dry with good acidity."
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6/27/2015 - yofog wrote:
Old musty cellar nose, full of sweet strawberry and tobacco and old oak, but somewhat one-dimensional for this wine in other vintages. Long and finely sweet, this is a great wine but not a great Tondonia.
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6/17/2015 - SimonG wrote:
Mature Rioja tasting at The Sampler (The Sampler, South Kensington): Slightly dusty mature Rioja nose. Too warm. Lacks the usual orange peel and freshness. A touch of tomato too with a slightly vegetal edge. A little flat and flabby. If representative, not a great Tondo. Probably the best wine of the flight, but disappointing for what it is/could have been. *** 87
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2/3/2015 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 92 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/vina-tondonia-1980-gran-reserva.html
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De color rubí marronoso de capa media, claro, abierto, con poca materia colorante pero muy luminoso. Reflejos anaranjados, vivos. Borde amplio, cobrizo, casi fusionado al menisco.
Nariz delicada que va de menos a mucho más al respirar. Inicialmente predomina una brumosa nota reductiva a cuero viejo, pimienta negra, esparto, maderos envinados, que se disipa de forma paulatina ofreciendo un paisaje húmedo (monte umbrío, corteza de nogal) de gran belleza. Tondonia de corte clásico, del todo reconocible, lleno de matices de fruta pasa (ciruelas, higos) que va sumándose a notas abocadas, melaza, tabaco, cascarilla de naranja, granos de café, tostados cremosos...
En boca parece delgado al tacto pero para nada!! Va ganando empaque: seco, concentrado, de fuerte acidez, con un tostado aún presente apoyado en puntas de vainilla, sabroso. Lo que sigue es de gran equilibrio. Amplio, vivo, con mucha energía. Una de esas cosechas que prácticamente no se comercializó en España y de las que únicamente hay unas pocas botellas disponibles. Y no por ello es un vino menor. Para nada!! Probado junto a un inmenso Imperial Gran Reserva de la misma cosecha ha sabido brillar al mismo nivel, cada cual con sus armas.
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80% tempranillo, 10% garnacho, 5% graciano, 5% mazuelo - 12% vol.
Permanece durante 6 meses en grandes depósitos de madera en los que acaba de realizar la fermentación maloláctica y se estabiliza antes de ser trasegado para su posterior crianza. Madura durante un total de 6 años en viejas barricas usadas 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. Lacrado especial para favorecer su mejor evolución en botella y preservarlo de contaminaciones. Un mínimo de 44 meses de guarda en botellero en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado.
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8/30/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Clearly a wonderful wine (if you like this sort of thing) yet overshadowed by the 1976, so needing more time. Sounds strange to say that a 34 year old wine needs just a touch more time but there it is. Close to peaking but not quite. Either way, your going to have a great drinking experience.
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5/6/2014 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Bodegas Lopez de Heredia, Hosted by Maria-Jose Lopez de Heredia (Berry Bros & Rudd, London): WOTN even taking into account the majestic 1964. Similar to the 1981 with a lovely rich core of fruit yet this was supremely balanced and elegant. The 81 had the power while this one had the more complete elegant profile. Very much alive and with lots of life ahead. Well secondary of course with good earthy tones. Just a beautiful wine. 95
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3/14/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
The palate is just silky, amazing, beautiful. Rich, succulent, just opened and has lots of tannins still. Maybe needing some time.
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2/10/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Well I thought this was just beautiful wine. Harmonious, smooth on the palate with age, and a lengthy finish. The palate has "burned off" the fig and walnut character that I get in many younger Heredias so that it now just a background note to the sweet / sour cherry note of Tempranillo. Certainly ready to drink but to my palate still incredibly youthful. Need more.
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1/14/2012 - urban_dk wrote: 92 Points
Quite an amazing Rioja. Significant dried fruit and a hint of dill on the nose. Incredibly smooth on the palate, with dark cherry fruit, a note of vanilla and mild acidity. A great example of how quality Rioja can age with grace.
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9/28/2011 - Dubie wrote: 93 Points
This is a surprisingly beautiful wine. Wine of the night. Mistaken for an old Burgundy grand cru, and it was not even served blind!
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5/7/2011 - Dubie wrote: 93 Points
Deep crimson robe, fruity and inviting nose, a very well balanced palate with melted tannins offering a stroganoff backbone for the fruit to express itself very elegantly. Tasted alongside the 1981, an the 1985 and was clearly the best
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12/15/2010 - Lord Rayas wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Eric and Jonathan (富瑤酒家): gloriously exotic nose of sweet earth and wild strawberries. reminds me of an old hermitage or CDP but sweeter and lighter.
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