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Red

1961 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia

Tempranillo Blend

  • Spain
  • La Rioja
  • La Rioja Alta
  • Rioja
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CT92.2 28 reviews
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Community Tasting Notes 26

  • drwine2001 wrote:

    November 24, 2022 - Thanksgiving 2022 (Los Gatos, California): Same bottle as noted by EKessler below. Deep color for its age, a shade darker than a 1996 Grand Cru Burgundy drunk alongside it. Peppery, herbal, black fruit nose. Elegant medium weight. Similar flavors with all elements well meshed but not yet completely resolved. I got the sense that a bottle in this condition could still improve and sweeten with more time-amazing!!

    1 person found this helpful Comment
  • ekessler wrote:

    November 24, 2022 - Amazing, excellent wine. Similar experience to that of AQUACONGAS. PNP. Cork soft/wet all through and even lost a bit into the bottle using Durand. Dark (for a Roija), minimal bricking. Sublime. One of the rare old bottles of Rioja without any funk.

    1 person found this helpful Comment
  • fclarity wrote: 94 points

    May 23, 2021 - Tasted blind, this wine had a light red center and tawny rims. Right behind the medium intensity notes of plum, cola, black spices, and vanilla was some reduction and TCA.

    In the mouth, this wine was medium bodied with light tannin, solid acidity, and very good length.

    I would guess this bottle was about average after factoring out some of the impact of TCA in my score. I believe the issues with this bottle were not due to storage but due to production process problems. Thus, this wine will likely have a unusually high level of variability among bottles (91-97).

    1 person found this helpful Comment
  • Grinner wrote: 91 points

    May 15, 2021 - Hedonism and Refinement at 60!; 5/14/2021-5/15/2021 (Joe and Kyla's Bar and Grill): Again, I would've been very happy if everything this night was this good! No sediment, as expected, this wine was "past brick" in color, someone said! Very mature nose with dried cherries, minerals, spice, dried tobacco, smoke and cedar. Better w/ food, than sipping.

    1 person found this helpful Comment
  • jkwoodward Likes this wine: 93 points

    May 15, 2021 - Lyon 2021 Birthday Bash; 5/14/2021-5/15/2021 (Bear Creek Woodward/Lyon Den): Birth year wine for my buddy Mark, with many other '61's, this struggled to stand up to the rest. Still good in its own right, notes of tobacco but slightly muted compared to the others. May be bottle variation, but the others just sung. Wouldn't kick it out of be for eating crackers though...

    1 person found this helpful Comment
1 - 5 of 26 More notes

Pro Reviews 4

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The World of Fine Wine

  • June 2011, Issue #32 (link)

    (R López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva) Subscribe to see review text.

JancisRobinson.com

  • By Jancis Robinson, MW
    2/3/2011 (link)

    (López Heredia, Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja Red) Subscribe to see review text.

Vinous

  • By Josh Raynolds
    September/October 2010, IWC Issue #152 (link)

    (R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja) Subscribe to see review text.

RJonWine.com

  • By Richard Jennings
    10/11/2011 (link) 88 points

    (R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia) Bricking dark red violet color; tobacco, tart currant, cigar box, light reduction nose; cigar box, earthy, tobacco, reduction palate with medium acidity and drying tannins; medium-plus finish

Wine Definition

  • Vintage 1961
  • Type Red
  • Producer R. López de Heredia
  • Varietal Tempranillo Blend
  • Designation Gran Reserva
  • Vineyard Viña Tondonia
  • Country Spain
  • Region La Rioja
  • SubRegion La Rioja Alta
  • Appellation Rioja

Community Holdings

  • Pending Delivery 8 (5%)
  • In Cellars 84 (48%)
  • Consumed 84 (48%)

Food Pairing

No food pairings available.

Who Likes This Wine

100% Like It  5 votes

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