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López de Heredia dinner
Orson, San Francisco
Tasted April 9, 2008 by 5laton with 350 views
Introduction
There were also some wines from Buil & Giné in Priorat; I may add notes for these later but I'm not sure if there's much point as I mostly didn't care for them.
Flight 1 - With salad of chicory, apple, hazelnut and lengua. (2 notes)
White
1981 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
Remarkably perfumed wine, with potent aromas of butterscotch, coconut, and lemon rind. (Looking back at what I just wrote, I felt that I should add that it smelled nothing like a Pina Colada.) Bone dry, with good acidity. Absolutely palate-coating. Expansive on the midpalate with a finish that lasts for minutes. Amazing.
Rosé
1997 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Viña Tondonia
flawed
Some coconut and dried strawberry on the nose, but also a high-toned acetaldehyde type aroma. Rich and mouthcoating, but quite musty and clearly corked. Afterward I tasted from another (clean) bottle to confirm.
Flight 2 - With steak frites, bordelaise, greens. (1 note)
Red
1985 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
This was a beautiful transparent shade of ruby. Saddle leather, toasted hay, blood/iron. Rich in the mouth, with cooked strawberries, spicy licorice, quite savory and rather elegant. Very good, and perhaps at peak.
Flight 3 - With fiore sardo and pepato. (2 notes)
Red
1976 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
Lifted aromas of strawberry, coconut, saddle leather. Sweet and vinous in the mouth, with sweet red dried strawberry, earth, tobacco and savory dried herbs. Nice broad midpalate and good if not great length. Very good.
Red
1981 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia
Much younger nose than the '76 or '85 Tondonias, with pure strawberry preserves and dried herbs. Far more fruit on the palate than those wines as well, almost unctuous in comparison. Amazingly concentrated and full of interest, this should have a long future ahead of it. My favorite red of this tasting.