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| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.1 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 382 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by foyfrcs on 4/26/2024 & rated 89 points: Medium garnet.
Dried berries, figs, cedar nose.
Toast, cedar, dried fruit palate.
Very good, but not quite the level that I expected having read all the other reviews (including RP.)
I didn’t decant and maybe should have. Will do so with the next bottle. (2046 views) | | | Tasted by CHINACAT on 4/12/2024 & rated 91 points: Still quite youthful and vibrant, with red cherries, leather and spice and a slightly firm finish. (2665 views) | | | Tasted by Scottlmatthews on 4/2/2024 & rated 96 points: Notes to follow… (3323 views) | | | Tasted by danchaq on 3/31/2024: Easter wine with roasted lamb rump. Mellow and subtle but fascinatingly layered with bright red fruit and old books. Very long. Decanted.
No harm in leaving the rest of my case whilst I work through some of the other Riojas can come back to this one later. (2853 views) | | | Tasted by HandmadeHomemade on 3/30/2024: Decanted for 2hrs, low/no sediment as others have stated. Pours a medium ruby in the glass. Med +, developing aromas of tobacco, soy, dried herbs (sage, lavendar), dried & fresh brambles, red raspberry, pomegranate, dried cranberry, prune & plum, dry earth, cedar, leather, rose, dried orange peel, smoke- complex and classic Rioja. In the mouth, the wine is med/+ bodied, high acid, medium + tannin, med alcohol, med + palate intensity, long finish. Drink now, or hold- for me in a perfect middle age spot, beginning of the long plateau into maturity. Overall, outstanding. (3144 views) | | | Tasted by drmarclevine on 2/26/2024 & rated 93 points: Decanted two hours. Lovely nose of dusty cherry, soy, bush brambles, and bay leaf. Big hit of red raspberry and tart cranberry balanced by warmed soil and underbrush. Great concentration and persistence borne on a medium-weight frame. These wines can be biting in their youth but patience is rewarded with depth and intensity with just the right amount of tannic edge. Just a beautiful, unadorned expression of Tempranillo. Paired very well with lamb meatballs with North African spices. Drink or hold. (4260 views) | | | Tasted by tbone on 2/18/2024: Outstanding right out of bottle and even better with time in decanter! (3779 views) | | | Tasted by B & B on 2/15/2024 & rated 92 points: Aired for 4 hours before drinking. Continued to improve. Light floral aroma and clear red berries with touch of earthiness on palate. Lovely. Worked well with spicy beef and then sheep cheese. (3936 views) | | | Tasted by WyattTheSomm on 2/3/2024 & rated 92 points: There isn’t much more to say that all the great reviews here haven’t already so I’ll just share my experience with the 06’ in 2024.
Sight: Light/medium ruby almost Pinot noir like and at 18’ it really doesn’t show too much garnet. No sediment in the bottle after all this time which was great for my decanting!
Nose: such an alluring bouquet that is old school and classic in nature. Lots of red fruits such as dried cherries and ripe plums that are followed by the classic balsamic notes I expect! There is clearly secondary development here with tobacco, barrel dust, minerals and some floral overtones. Really couldn’t ask for something more classic it’s amazing what RLH Reserva gives you with time.
Taste: This is a wine of class without the lust for materialism. It’s just classic old school Rioja in all it glory with everything in incredible balance the tannins, acid ect… nothing is sticking out all the red fruit is there it’s fresh, the palate has length, the finish has minerals and dusty oak with a wonderful complexity. The wine almost has a Pinot Noir like sophistication being lighter on its feet with finesse and the ability to pair so well with a myriad of foods.
Overall: Decanted and tasted over 2 hours with lovely charcuteries and eventually chimichurri Steak with mushroom and black truffle risotto. This was the wine of the night and I just can’t believe the value of this wine being $45 when purchased…. with every RLH, if you wait the wine just overwhelming out performs the price point. This is fantastic to drink atm cheers! (4217 views) | | | Tasted by LeVin66 on 1/20/2024 & rated 93 points: Put 1/3 of the bottle on my slow cooker beef stew and drank the remaining 2/3 while eating. Beautifully balanced and really enjoyable to drink right now. (4338 views) | | | Tasted by Bellissimo on 1/14/2024: Brought to a restaurant, shared with family. No formal note taken. Pretty much PnP; maybe saw 20-30 minutes of air. Served with main courses over an hour or so.
Dark cherry, herbs, balsamic, leather and cocoa with just hints of the American oak. Pleasant acids with lovely structure with fine tannins. This is drinking exceptionally well right now.
I should have 4 more and will try spacing them out every other year or so. (4814 views) | | | Tasted by Thebackroomvt on 12/25/2023: Surprisingly light with tons of backbone. Lots of smoke and leather on the nose. (3419 views) | | | Tasted by Gentry856 on 12/15/2023 & rated 92 points: Nice blend of red fruit, floral/herbal notes, and darker notes of oak and tobacco. Delicately structured tannins with nice acidity. Drinking good now, but will continue to improve. (4063 views) | | | Tasted by jtsejersen@gmail.com on 11/19/2023 & rated 92 points: First time I try this wine, and knowing that these wines need some age, I was quite hesitant opening this bottle. But what a delightful experience this was. A clear ruby red color. Roasted mocca and cocoabeans, sour cherries, red plums, tobacco and a touch of vanilla. The oak is so well-integrated and the wine still tastes fresh and young with a zingy acidity and well-rounded tannins. Not bad at all and definitely a wine I would recommend. (4120 views) | | | Tasted by VoteferPedro on 10/27/2023: decanted for 2 hours and seemed a bit dim and not ready.
needs more time (4313 views) | | | Tasted by GasperTheWineGuy on 10/20/2023 & rated 92 points: Prefect balance and a joy to drink, This one could age for a few more years but I can not imagine this getting any better. Had lost its youth but age did not creep in. Wonderful. (4333 views) | | | Tasted by Ernestas on 10/15/2023 & rated 92 points: Coming back to this vintage after 1 year. Made from Tempranillo blend with 20% Grenache and 5% of each Mazuelo/Graciano, aged for 12 years, 6 of each - used US oak and bottle. Medium intensity aroma of spices, dried cherries and raspberries, earth, dried rose and sweet briar petals, sweet tobacco. Medium body, tense and vibrant structure, lean texture, spiced and dried cherry flavours with smoky dried floral petal hints, saline and sour touches. Signature expressive lively acidity, fine medium grip tannins. (4210 views) | | | Tasted by OenoEd on 9/10/2023 & rated 92 points: After my disappointment with a half bottle noted here in November ‘22, I opened this 750 with some trepidation. After a 3 hour decant, it remained very tight, so we corked it up and tried it today. What a difference a day makes! It softened and opened, and expressed everything described in note below. After two hours, the acidity dominated and it seemed to fade. But her wines have 3 or 4 lives, , and this felt like #2., thoroughly enjoyable with wood grilled lamb chops and creamed spinach, but not yet offering tertiary notes of rusty iron, huitalacoche, and hung game that these often show after 15-20 years. Looking forward! (5142 views) | | | Tasted by isaacjamesbaker on 9/9/2023 & rated 92 points: Surprisingly good showing after holding onto this bottle for many years, and it still had plenty of time to go. Spicy, meaty, pepperoni, pepper, anise, dried violets, wet clay, and fallen leaves on the nose, really opens up a lot with air. Tannins still showing grip but they're softened around the edges, buttressed by vibrant acidity. Dark currants, mulled raspberries, black cherry sauce, tossed with lots of tar, black pepper, coffee grounds, beefy and smoky vibes. Mineral and forest floor vibes abound. Good showing but given the conditions of this bottle, it would've been better in another two to four years. (4558 views) | | | Tasted by kalissa on 9/3/2023 & rated 89 points: The 2006 vintage has not been outstanding in my experience, and while this is a strong effort, it lacks the fruit of more successful vintages. While there is still some tannin on the finish I feel it would be best to drink this now before it dries out too much. (4648 views) | | | Tasted by PDavisMarble on 8/26/2023 & rated 89 points: More mature bottle than the last. Some tertiary notes, and a more assertive line of cranberries through the mid-palate. A lovely nose of tobacco and red fruits. Decanted for an hour, which flattered the wine. (4540 views) | | | Tasted by Valaprop on 7/29/2023 & rated 90 points: Nothing wrong with this bottle of pleasant, traditional Rioja, but it was less compelling than most of the LdH Riojas I've had. It didn't seem to me to be too youthful, nor did it evolve very much with a decant and over the course of dinner. Recently, in this price range, I've been more impressed by the La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza bottlings. (5227 views) | | | Tasted by gaileyb on 7/12/2023: Bottle to kozo (4999 views) | | | Tasted by 32lakeviewwine on 5/27/2023 & rated 92 points: Nose of funk upon opening burned off in about an hour and drank well. Cassis, dark fruit. Not falling off any time soon. (5404 views) | | | Tasted by NickBurwood on 4/11/2023 & rated 91 points: Much as per my Oct '22 note.
Drinking well now (with 2hr aerated decant) and another decade or so ahead of it at least with possibility of even higher score.
91+?+ (6306 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| R. López de Heredia Producer WebsiteR. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña TondoniaThis dry red is a stable of the López de Heredia family. It is defined by its light texture and notes of vanilla, red cherry and dried berry.
Produced entirely from local grapes, (70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo).Tempranillo BlendTempranillo is the backbone of wines made ihvhhcn the best well-known Spanish regions Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but is also grown as far afield as Mexico and Australia.
As a flavor profile, red fruits like strawberries and cherries can predominate - but with a rustic edge. The Many wines made from Tempranillo will spend a few years in barrel and bottle before reaching the consumers . Many Tempranillo-based wines see a few years of oak - add that to a few years of bottle and the wine can give a subtle - and occasionaly not-so-subtle - leathery mouthfeel. The combination of the tart fruit and tannins make this wine very food friendly.ReservaStill Portuguese table wines of designated origin may also be labelled "reserva", indicating an alcohol content of at least 0.5% higher than the legal minimum established by the respective DOC or VR; however, stricter requirements in individual DOCs may supersede this standard.
(Court of Master Sommeliers)Viña TondoniaJay Miller in WA, June 2010
A visit to the venerable Bodega Lopez de Heredia, located in the Rioja Alta capital of Haro, is akin to entering a time machine taking you back 100 years. Construction of the Bodega began in 1877 and continues without any apparent changes to the present day. The winery is operated by the voluble Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia, her sister Mercedes, and their father Pedro, still active into his 80s. All of the wines are produced from estate grown bush vines. Tondonia and Bosconia are two different vineyards; Bosconia has a larger percentage of Tempranillo and a different orientation. For an excellent overview of the estate, read Eric Asimov’s blog in the New York Times dated August 11, 2009.
Map on weinlagen-infoSpain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.La Rioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
Map on weinlagen-infoLa Rioja Alta Map on weinlagen-infoRioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
HISTORY
The wine region of La Rioja in Spain was first demarcated by the area's governing body, the Consejo Regulador, in 1926. The region extends for approximately 120 kilometres along both sides of the Ebro River and is, at its widest point, bounded by mountains on either side. In fact, the word 'Rioja' is a derivation of the two words 'Rio' (River) and 'Oja (the name of a tributary of the Ebro that runs right through La Rioja creating a series of microclimates and providing much needed water for the vines).
La Rioja has always been a vital part of Spain's history. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and finally, medieval Crusaders have all played a part in the area's history. The Romans, however, made wine a part of their culture wherever they travelled, and La Rioja was no exception. Ancient sites of Roman wineries still exist in and around the area today.
After the Romans came the Moors, and winemaking all but ceased. It wasn't until after the famous 'El Cid' liberated Spain, and medieval Christianity brought trade via the Crusaders through the region, that it flourished again. The Benedictine monks of Cluny in Burgundy, known for their viticulture, helped to establish three monasteries in the area. The vines they planted were mostly white grapes. In the fourteenth century, English traders acquired a taste for a local Rioja wine, which was a blend of white and red wines called Blancos Pardillos. Over time, development of lighter reds came about satisfying eighteenth century English and French courts.
The real improvements to Rioja's viticulture began around 1780 when the need to prolong wine during transport brought about experimentation with different woods and preservatives. Studies were made of the techniques used by great chateaux in Bordeaux. With the outbreak of the Peninsular War, progress was halted until 1852, when the Bordelais came south to Rioja seeking vines because their vineyards had been blighted with oidium. French winemaking methods were eagerly taken up by great rivals the Marques de Murrieta and Marques de Riscal (who both claim to have been the first in Rioja to make wine in the Bordeaux fashion).
When phylloxera devastated Bordeaux in the 1870s and the French influence really took hold in Rioja, many of the region's finest bodegas started production on what we now consider as the great wines of Rioja. It’s important to remember that Bordeaux winemaking methods then were very different to those employed today in France, and involved long ageing in barrel, a factor that the Riojans took up enthusiastically. So enthusiastically in fact that to this day there are a number of Bodegas that still make their wine in a surprisingly similar fashion to that of the Bordelais in the later part of the 1800s and this also explains why oak ageing is such an important part of Riojan winemaking.
USE OF OAK
Pronounced vanilla flavours in the wines are a trademark of the region though some modern winemakers are experimenting with making wines less influenced by oak. Originally French oak was used but as the cost of the barrels increased many bodegas began to buy American oak planks and fashion them into barrels at Spanish cooperages in a style more closely resembling the French method. This included hand splitting the wood, rather than sawing, and allowing the planks time to dry and 'season' in the outdoors versus drying in the kiln. In recent times, more bodegas have begun using French oak and many will age wines in both American and French oak for blending purposes.
In the past, it was not uncommon for some bodegas to age their red wines for 15-20 years or even more before their release. One notable example of this is Marqués de Murrieta which released its 1942 vintage Gran Reserva in 1983 after 41 years of ageing. Today most bodegas have shifted their winemaking focus to wines that are ready to drink sooner with the top wines typically ageing for 4-8 years prior to release though some traditionalists still age longer. The typical bodega owns anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 oak barrels.
The use of oak in white wine has declined significantly in recent times when before the norm was traditionally 2-5 years in oak. This created slightly oxidised wines with flavours of caramel, coffee, and roasted nuts that did not appeal to a large market of consumers. Today the focus of white winemakers has been to enhance the vibrancy and fruit flavours of the wine.
WINE CLASSIFICATION
Most Riojan Bodegas believe that the ageing of a wine should be the responsibility of the producer rather than that of the consumer, and this is why much Rioja is more mature than wines from other countries. Rioja red wines are classified into four categories. The first, simply labelled 'Rioja', or 'Sin Crianza' (meaning 'without ageing') is the youngest, spending less than a year in oak. A "Crianza" is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which is in oak. 'Reserva' is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. Finally, 'Gran Reserva' wines have been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle. Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are not necessarily produced each year. Also produced are wines in a semi-crianza style, those that have had a couple of months of oak influence but not enough to be called a full crianza. The designation of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva might not always appear on the front label but may appear on a neck or back label in the form of a stamp designation known as Consejo.
SUB REGIONS
Rioja Alta
Located on the western edge of the region, and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known for more fruity and concentrated wines which can have very smooth texture and mouth feel.
Rioja Alavesa
Despite sharing a similar climate as the Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil.
Rioja Baja
Unlike the more continental climate of the Alta and Alavesa, the Rioja Baja is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate which makes this area the warmest and driest of the Rioja. In the summer months, drought can be a significant viticultural hazard, though since the late 1990s irrigation has been permitted. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 95°F. Twenty percent of the vineyards actually fall within the Navarra appellation but the wine produced from the grapes is still allowed to claim the Rioja designation. The predominant grape here is the Garnacha which prefers the hot conditions, unlike the more aromatic Tempranillo. Consequently Baja wines are very deeply coloured and can be highly alcoholic with some wines at 18% alcohol by volume. The wines typically do not have much acidity or aroma and are generally used as blending components with wines from other parts of
the Rioja.
The Riojans are master blenders (as they have to be because there are relatively few single estates in the area, the norm being to blend from a wide variety of vineyards and wine areas). Consequently they are able to reduce vintage variation by careful blending and many of the best wines vary relatively little between vintages.
VITICULTURE & GRAPES
Rioja wines are normally a blend of various grape varieties, and can be either red (tinto), white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). Rioja has a total of 57,000 hectares cultivated, yielding 250 million litres of wine annually, of which 85% is red. The harvest time for most Rioja vineyards is September-October with the northern Rioja Alta having the latest harvest in late October. The soil here is clay-based with a high concentration of chalk and iron (which provides the redness in the soil that may be responsible for the region's name, Rioja, meaning red). There is also significant concentration of limestone, sandstone and alluvial silt.
Among the Tintos, the best-known and most widely-used variety is Tempranillo. Other grapes used include Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, and Mazuelo. A typical blend will consist of approximately 60% Tempranillo and up to 20% Garnacha, with much smaller proportions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Each grape adds a unique component to the wine with Tempranillo contributing the main flavours and ageing potential to the wine; Garnacha adding body and alcohol; Mazuelo adding seasoning flavours and Graciano adding additional aromas.
With Rioja Blanco, Viura is the prominent grape (also known as Macabeo) and is sometimes blended with some Malvesia and Garnacha Blanca. In the white wines the Viura contributes mild fruitness, acidity and some aroma to the blend with Garnacha Blanca adding body and Malvasia adding aroma. Rosados are mostly derived from Garnacha grapes. The 'international varieties' of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have gained some attention and use through experimental plantings by some bodegas but their use has created wines distinctly different from the typical Rioja.
Some of the most sought after grapes come from the limestone/sandstone based 'old vine' vineyards in the Alavesa and Alta regions. These 40 year old plus vines are prized due to their low yields and more concentrated flavours. A unique DO regulation stipulates that the cost of the grapes used to make Rioja must exceed by at least 200% the national average of wine grapes used in all Spanish wines.
VINTAGE CHART
Rioja (Red) Year %
2004 Superb vintage, classic wines Drink or Hold 94
2003 Hot, dry year, long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 91
2002 Smallest vintage in 10 years. Variable quality.
Keep to top names Drink or Hold 87
2001 Excellent year for long ageing Reservas
and Gran Reservas Drink or Hold 94
2000 A generally good vintage with fine Reservas Drink or Hold 89
1999 Smaller vintage of good quality Drink or Hold 88
1998 Good vintage Drink or Hold 97
1997 Unexciting so far, but quaffable Drink or Hold 84
1996 Good year, plenty of ageing potential Drink or Hold 89
1995 Very good vintage, Reservas now showing excellent fruit Drink or Hold 92
1994 Outstanding, some great long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 94
1993 Lesser wines, apart from best-known names Drink 77
1992 Rather light vintage Drink 80
1991 Still improving, average quality Drink or Hold 85
1990 Fairly ordinary but quaffable Drink 84
1989 Good, firm structure Drink 88
Rioja Reserva & Gran Reserva – Vintages of the Eighties Year %
1989 Goodish vintage, well balanced Drink 88
1988 Fairly good vintage, well balanced wines Drink 88
1987 Very attractive vintage, now at peak Drink 90
1986 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1985 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1984 Disappointing, with problem weather Avoid 80
1983 Don't keep it any longer Drink 86
1982 Now past its best Drink 83
1981 Superb wines, finest will keep longer Drink 90
1980 Average vintage, don't keep any longer Drink 86
More vintage charts
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