1992 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 87.8 points

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  1/3/2023 - mattmoy_2000 Likes this wine:

  Cork came out in two pieces, tweezed out with an ah-so. Sodden through to the point of minor seepage into the foil. Wasn't hopeful, but it has impeccable provenance being from BBR in late 2019 (£58) and then cellared appropriately by me since then. I bought it on the advice of BBR staff who suggested it as a way to see how my bottle of 94GR might be developing.
  
  Wow! What a wine! Absolutely delicious malic acidity still after thirty years. Obviously entirely tertiary at this point, not even a trace of the original fruit left. All tannins fully resolved leaving a limpid wine with a rich brick red colour. In the decanter, it still had an almost purple hue to it, but in the glass that was not visible.
  
  Very difficult to pick out specific aromas, some honey, pencil shavings, Sauternes (!?), baked apples which really went with the acidity. To be honest this mainly tasted like "old wine" but with that oh so mouthwatering acidity that made it so, so drinkable. Rebottled in a half, refrigerated and drank again on days 2 and 3. Not a huge change by day 2, but tiring on day 3, lots more pencil shavings noted on both the nose and palate.
  
  Followed the previous note on here about it being best after 2½h, so I decanted at 1800 for dinner at 2030. Took sips every hour or so, but actually wish I had done P&P instead so I could follow its evolution more in those early moments. I think that this bottle was best after about an hour, which is when I stoppered the decanter, but alas the genie was out of the bottle already and working his magic.
  
  In summary, this wine has probably passed its peak (I guess that the drinking window suggested of "until 2010" is about right), but is still utterly delicious and totally enjoyable with not a hint of fustiness until it had been open for three days and even then still enjoyable.

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  8/27/2022 - EB2 Likes this wine: 91 Points

  I was very pleasantly surprised by this. I had been given this bottle a few years ago and when I read the reviews this evening I had little hope for it. I then took the cap off and the cork had obviously leaked (though the ullage was as it should be) and the cork was both fragile and damp throughout. I decanted it very gently into a decanter I use for red Burgundy (and it turned out there was quite a bit of sediment). Initially it looked thin and a pale red- brown but quickly started to take on weight and turn to a more encouraging hue. I think it was at its best 2.5 hours after decanting, when I was thinking of a mature Burgundy Premier Cru. Lovely wine, and i wish I had another!

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  1/7/2022 - Ernestas wrote: 84 Points

  Tasted after 2005 vintage, obvious difference, the biggest being that this difficult vintage is past its peak for quite some time, however it is still a pleasant sipper. Medium red colour. Medium+ intensity aroma of dried raspberries, barnyard, dry leaves, earth, plum marmalade. Medium body, feels tired, but still tries to hold on with bright acidity, medium light density and silky tannins.

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  4/4/2020 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Spanish Dinner (Herald & Teni's Place, Hong Kong): Opened for a couple of hours but not decanted. Semi-opaque dusty velvet ruby colour. Nose is lovely soft but still structured red and black fruits, dried Middle Eastern spices. Palate is nicely fresh, medium-bodied, slightly sweet cranberry driven fruit. Mellow and mellows even more in a slightly sweeter way with extended time in the glass. Tamarind comes out. Moderate initial length that then really fills out. Tonight I preferred its 2006 sibling, which is unusual for me to like a younger wine but I think reflects that the 1992 is likely past its best....lacking the freshness of a 1959 CVNE Vina Real I drank two weeks ago.

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  1/26/2020 - peterchoy wrote: 86 Points

  Appearance: Bright and clear, the wine is of medium ruby colour with wide garnet rim and legs.
  Nose: Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas of red fruit of sour cherries, black fruit of black cherry, dried fruit of kirsch, maturity notes of tobacco, oak notes of cedar, sweet spice of nutmeg, pungent spice of licorice. The wine is fully developed.
  Palate: Dry with medium (+) acidity, the wine has medium (-) tannin of silky texture, medium (-) alcohol, medium body with medium (+) intensity flavors of red fruit of sour cherries, sweet spice of nutmeg, pungent spice of licorice, maturity notes of tobacco, oak notes of cedar. The wine has a medium finish.
  Conclusion: Good quality Spanish Reserva with an intense nose showing predominantly development characters, decent in complexity, the wine has good acidity and is lively despite its age, with the tannin mostly dissolved and the flavors of similar profile, and a decent finish. It is ready to drink now and not meant for further ageing.

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