Quite dark yellow. Rich, old styled Rioja, with pronounced old barrel aromas in addition to some citrus and ripe apples. Very concentrated and intense. Unashamedly young!
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Forsmak til 3 nøtter. Krydret lukt med gul fruk mot mandarin skall. Overaskende klar og rein smak med omboplomme delikat eik og krydder. Sitron frisk syre som sitter lenge sammen med eik i ettersmaken. 4 dager i flaske: Klar gulplomme og litt sherry. Fin frukt. 6 dager: Rik lukt og smak, nesten mer en ved åpning. Flott vin
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Kraftig lukt av voks og litt kålrot, motorolje. Klar smak av marsipan, gulpommer, treverk. Klar og syrlig smaksprofil. Lang frisk ettersmak. Fantastisk til pinnekjøtt. Perfekt moden? Ingen kokkus fat-preg eller sødmefylt feit frukt. 2 dager i flasken: Fyldigere og bedre balanse i dag
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Lovely. The right balance between the waxy, lanolin and chalky Tondo style and a slight freshness and lightness of foot. Balanced, complex and long. ****
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Beautiful amber color. Tangerine, orange blossom, ripe yellow apples, ginger and cloudberry on the nose. Oxidative. Good acidity and aging potential. A great Rioja experience. I will try to get hold of a few more bottles from this producer!
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Nice age, good acidity, a touch of bitterness (which works for the wine), maybe some older lemon notes. For some reason I get some characteristics of honey if you took out the sweet. Nice and elegant.
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Surprisingly light, took about 1/2 hour to come to its best, perhaps warming up from 57. No discernable flavors. Went. Very well with Spanish smoke paprika rubbed chicken.
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No formal notes, but this was excellent. I couldn't believe the freshness it had at 22 years old. Preserved lemon, savory oak, salinity, toasted nut, and bright acid structure. Great balance and complexity.
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En nariz está dominado por la fruta madura y un matiz licoroso y avainillado que trae el brioche, orejones, carne de membrillo, cítricos dulces, limón escarchado. Barrica menos intrusiva de lo habitual y completamente integrada al conjunto. Despuntan suaves notas especiadas a semillas de cilantro, cúrcuma, laurel, que van ganando poco a poco más presencia. Suave, cremoso, aromático, directo, sin grandes artificios pero cumplidor.
En boca es carnoso, seco, corpulento. Muy buena acidez que da paso a un conjunto de enorme madurez con recuerdos de fruta en sazón. Adictivo, sabroso, redondo. Algo menos complejo que otras añadas pero compensado por su inmediatez. Se bebe con gran placer. No parece un vino con grandes posibilidades de envejecimiento pero sin dudas se disfruta como en pocas ocasiones.
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 90% viura, 10% malvasía - 12.5% vol. Vendimia manual. Fermentación en viejas tinas de roble de 60 hectolitros sin control de temperatura. Permanece durante 6 años en barricas de roble americano de 225 litros. Sometido a 2 trasiegas manuales cada año. Clarificado con claras de huevos frescos. Embotellado directamente de la barrica sin filtrar. Permanece durante un mínimo de 9 años en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado. Producción limitada a 14.000 botellas. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Noe kjelleraromaer den første halvtimen, men det blåser av. Voks, aprikos, kamfer, klor, røkte mandler og sherry. Konsentrert frukt og slank, intens syre. Følger opp aromaene i munnen. Flott, interessant vin. 90p.
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From 75cl, perfect cork. P+P, probably a mistake. Mouldy smell blew off about 15 minutes after opening. This shows its 20 years though understatement, which we felt today equalled a lack of vigour. The slender, oxidative, dry, oak-acid profile is familiar from other traditional white Riojas, but this Reserva is a cut above, with a nice saline edge to the entry and gentle tangerine-like preserved fruit. Not bowled over tonight, but if decanted a few hours it might well break through the 90P barrier. 89P(?) Day 2: this hasn't improved, on the contrary. Now it has something distinctly unpleasantly plastic-ether-like on the mid-palate. Not a good drink in this condition. I'll settle for 87P for P+P.
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Rich, full nose with marzipan, spice, honey, wax, very light VA, getting slightly nutty character with time. Quite fascinating. Full, fresh, very nicely balanced, waxy and complex. Apricots, citrus rind, aged notes on the palate. Very long, candied citrus aftertaste.
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A tad lifted nose with baked apple, crystallized lemon, wax, varnish, baking spices, vanilla and mushrooms. Dry and expressive on the palate with beautiful deep acidity working its magic. Golden apple, honey, slight nuttiness, earthy notes and mushrooms. Very long and complex. This is it. Oh yeah. And this will surely keep on going for ages. Served blind and everybody loved this. Out of the 5 guys not knowing what was served, 3-4 more or less guessed the wine (not the vintage though). That says something about the stylistic recognizability of the wine!
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70s Rioja and Bellota Ham: Medium yellow. In the nose, this is simply fantastic, super fresh, extremely consistent in its aromatics, harmonic, well structured and appealing. There's some lemon juice and rind, passion fruit and pineapple, some nutty notes, a touch of vanilla. On the palate, it's equally great as in the nose with great structure, lots of harmony, clear aromas and great freshness. Everything in the right place and so juicy.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Spain and Portugal (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Medium deep gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was just fantastic, extremely complex nose and palate showing a distinct earthy character, lemon, waxy, herbs, smoked nuts. The palate has incredible vitality at 20 years old, slightly oxidative, but with plenty of fruit, citrus and some tropicals, nutty, creamy and full with a very long energetic finish. This was getting better through the evening too. Very impressive and my WOTN.
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Brought to a dinner, didn't take detailed notes. Kept a glass in front of me for 45 minutes and checked back with it periodically. Color is starting to show some goldeness to it but still tilts more to yellow. Really liked the nose where it showed orange peel, lemon, nuts and a bit of waxiness. On the palate I got peach, citrus and tropical fruits and more nuttiness. There is a slight oxidated aspect to it but felt the mouthfeel and finish were definite strong points. This showed really well and will seek out more.
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This is a wine that is aged for many years before release. It is complex with a golden hue. Best served ~50 degrees and aerate to allow the flavors to emerge. Best served with a creamy sauced dish to take advantage of this wine
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Nice bottle of wine but can't help to be a little disappointed especially after a fantastic 2001 regular Gravonia white which is not only a better wine for the money IMHO, but a better wine - period. This was nice with its slight oxidized salt caramel toffee and peach flavors, but felt a little low on energy throughout. The wine showed no movement over three days in the fridge, so clearly not in decline. Again - I would be happy to drink this again, but expected a little more.
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diepe gele kleur, mooi neus , oxidatieve stijl, noten, boenwas, mandarijn, veel complexiteit, smaak is nog levendig, mooie rijkdom, veel inhoud, licht plakkend, lange afdronk , zeer smakelijk, opvallende wijn, goed voor de opleiding
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Really superb wine. Unique nose of lemon, fresh orange peel, nuts and wax. Remarkably fresh on the palate with a lovely long finish. transforms over the palate as you drink. Delcious
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I thought this was a good wine, but not all that great. I must say that I was bit under the weather for when I had it though, which could have explained why I did not like it all that much. It had a nicely intriguing nose, with orange peel and dried limes, some browned apples, shades of almond nut and beeswax and a nice whiff of something saline and sea-breezy. It was still really fresh on the palate, with bright lemony acidity running through an oily-texture, beeswaxy attacj into more slightly oxidative notes of apples and figs and another twist of savoury orange peel on the midpalate. Enjoyable except right at the very finish, where the wine seemed to thinned out a bit, losing flesh and showing its ribs of sea-shelly, slightly iodine mineral notes. I thought it was quite delicious for most part, nicely complex and certainly very interesting, but also that it was not all that complete a wine. So overall, nice, but not something to really shout about.
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Lopez de Heredia Vertical, with Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia (The Sampler, South Ken, London): 6yrs in Barrel aging here, some blending with other years (up to 15%) . Honey colour. Fruity, citrus, herby nose. Even light earthy notes. Zero oak. Special in every aspect and it’s a bit of a style that one either likes or not. We love the style. Big wine, with depth and very long. Some oxitative notes. Could use some food. 92 and very special.
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López de Heredia - Viña Tondonia (Enoteca Barolo - Madrid): Perfect vivid gold colour with watery edges. Wax, minty, honeyed nose with a Tokaji touch. Cleary grapie. Clean citrius aromas. Long way to run mouthfeel, acidic, short coz young. Where is that related oak? Refreshing bottle. 19 years is nothing for a Viña Tondonia like this.
Perfecto color oro vivo con bordes acuosos. Nariz con cera, mentolado, melosa coun un toque Tokaji. Claramente afrutado. Aromas límpios a citricos. Sensación en boca de largo recorrido, acídico, corto por joven. ¿Dónde está el esperado roble? Una botella refrescante. 19 años es nada para un Viña Tondonia como este.
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Must and dusty aroma off the cork pull, but subsides. Banana and into pear and a minute thought of almond. Palate shows a really pretty aged richness, but not really a tonne of over-maturity to the palate. Resolving barrel and herb. Loaded with smoke on the palate. A cream soda decent on the palate and a minor thought of vanilla. As this opens up over the course of 4/5 hours. Ripe red apple comes through. Day 2. Damp cellar, apple fruit. Floral nuance on the palate. Smoke and ash and herb. Beeswax. day 3. Really easy on the palate with a real water weight feel. Smoke and ash, only hinting at almond, with a little floral breath right up front on the palate.
Along side my simple salad with balsamic vinaigrette with kalamatas, and pan seared cauliflower, this wine picks up on the olive oil searing of the cauliflower. Great match, with shallot and onion, broccoli in that sautée as well. This wine works great with simply prepared foods...olive oil, garlic, shallot, onion prep.
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This was quite alright. Very interesting nose, maybe more attractive than the palate, which offered spices one has rarely experienced before. A friend of mine loved the wine. Buy if the price is reasonable. I payed cirka 30 euro which is maybe 45 usd. Thought it was worth the money, but will not buy again.
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A very unique white. Notes of almond and honey on the nose, with beeswax, lemon rind, green apple and almond on the palate. Incredibly versatile, it paired well with bocarones (marinated anchovies), aged jamon iberico and also a pork tenderloin in sautéed apples and caramelized onion. Some of the waxy characteristic may be become less prominent as this beauty ages a bit further, but it is drinking wonderfully now.
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Delicious, slightly oxidised, intentionally, as in the old style white rioja. Needed time to breathe and then the fruit flavours came out. Long and beautifully balanced by a clean ring of acidity.
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Fantastic nose, with mature fruit, almond, mushroom, honey and wax. Dry with full body and good acidity. Very rich taste that needs time to show, but rewards patience! Ripe apple, dried fruit, long aftertaste.
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Stale bannana bread, beeswax, honey, a body of open fresh water. Odd combination, free association on the smells. It does intrigue. Clean and persistant on the palate, goes down like water with a lingering, sappy finish. Just opened. We shall see where it goes.
Hour two: apricot and peaches on the nose, less pronouced aromatics than earlier. Still clear and crisp palate with lingering finish of beeswax.
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Wax and a hint of blue cheese on the nose. On the palate - pears, tangerine, beeswax, green apple, slight vanilla. Good acidity. Good body and long finish. More impressive in the mouth than on the nose. More/heavier body than 1991 vintage.
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Appearance: Bright and clear, medium gold, with watery rims and legs Nose: Clean, medium intensity and developing aromas of biscuit, cream, pear, butter, oak, floral, nut. Palate: Dry, medium acidity and fresh, medium alcohol, medium body with medium (+) intensity flavors of butter, cream, biscuit, pear, oak, floral and nut. Medium (+) length. Conclusion: Very good Rioja white with a complex aged oak characters yet still retaining the freshness and a good acidity. Intense palate and reasonable nose, with a fairly long length making the wine highly enjoyable. Ready to drink now and can maintain for another 2-3 years.
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A very pleasant surprise. Nose is full of autumn, damp leaves and old apples and very complex. Taste is mature, notes of fruit but less body than I'd expected and a hint of petroleum- medium bodied. By chance it matched the food perfectly and the combination was very satisying.
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Munskänkarna: Spanska vita (Uppsala): Golden yellow. Wood, vanilla and some rubber. Smells like old. A little weak taste with not much fruit left. A dying wine in my view with a very special taste. The little remaining vigor disappears from the glass during the tasting. Interesting taste but not my type of wine. Might work with tapas instead of a good sherry.
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Monolithic, linear, and seamless... These words convey the integration and harmony of this wine, but they don't fit the complexity. There is so much going on here. Different fruit component like apple and mango and pineapple interact with almond and grassiness. There is an oxidative note, but not a "sherry" feel.
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Munskänkarna Stockholm - Tasting of September releases: Light amber colour. Very complex and interesting nose. Nuts, almonds, nougat, chocolate, canned pinapple juice, yellow apples, sherry and a hint of diesel oil. Mellow and mature taste, lacks a bit of acid bite but seems to be able to come around with more air. A meditation wine to follow over several days.
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Smells, quite frankly, a bit corked. Again very light on the palate, seems closed down, we shall see.
Now, 10 hours later, and tasting Gravonia '01, Tonodnia Blanco Reserva '93 and Tondonia Blanco Grand Reserva '87.
The '01 Gravonia has lemon, I high hit of lime on the nose, and wax. Overall not a very pronouced smell. Maybe slight bit of herb. Lemon wax or honey wax. Thats it, honey wax candels.
The palate much heavier than before with flavors as the nose would suggest. The body is light. Its a high acid wine with the flavors running alongside the acid through the finish. The finish is legthy resolving around its acids.
Comparatively the '93 Reserva is much more wax, with hints of smoke or ash coming through as well. I am probably taking the candel metaphor too far. And it makes the '01 seem more lemony and ricey. And more pronouced aromas as well.
The palate is heavier, with more body than the Gravonia. The acid doesn't dominate the mid palate as much. The flavors (I can't really say fruit flavors) linger on the finish much longer than the gravonia as well. And then finally the acidity takes over.
This seems to be in a real sweet spot. Another taster wrote "nut-meat" and that hits the wine nicely. Some pineapple fruit in there too. Wild stuff. Really coming out. It only took 10 hours!
The '87 is of the same family, but just barely. Now the smoke and ash smells have taken over, dominating over the lemon, honey candel wax side of the equation. Like the ash in a ashed cheese. In a pleasant way.
Here the palate is absolutely seemless. The acidity, the body weight, the flavors are all in perfect harmony, all the way through the lengthy finish.
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this is very much in the style i like from their blancos. some years are too sherried, salty. this one is a little more of the nut meat, not just the skin.
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3/26/2024 - FjordogFjell wrote: 92 Points
Til påskepinnekjøtt på Stryn. Klassisk nese med rik vanilje, gulplomme. Rik og fruktig smak med god syre som sitter lenge. 1 dag: rik og solid
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12/30/2022 - GregK59 Does not like this wine:
Oxidised - undrinkable.
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4/30/2022 - AudunG wrote: 90 Points
Quite dark yellow. Rich, old styled Rioja, with pronounced old barrel aromas in addition to some citrus and ripe apples. Very concentrated and intense. Unashamedly young!
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12/24/2021 - FjordogFjell wrote: 92 Points
Forsmak til 3 nøtter. Krydret lukt med gul fruk mot mandarin skall. Overaskende klar og rein smak med omboplomme delikat eik og krydder. Sitron frisk syre som sitter lenge sammen med eik i ettersmaken. 4 dager i flaske: Klar gulplomme og litt sherry. Fin frukt. 6 dager: Rik lukt og smak, nesten mer en ved åpning. Flott vin
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10/1/2020 - Janstan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Went great with halibut, capers and tomatoes. Sweet fennel and sweet basal fresh oregano honeycomb,. Baked apricot, wet hay, baked apple
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12/24/2019 - FjordogFjell wrote: 92 Points
Kraftig lukt av voks og litt kålrot, motorolje. Klar smak av marsipan, gulpommer, treverk. Klar og syrlig smaksprofil. Lang frisk ettersmak. Fantastisk til pinnekjøtt. Perfekt moden? Ingen kokkus fat-preg eller sødmefylt feit frukt. 2 dager i flasken: Fyldigere og bedre balanse i dag
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4/16/2019 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
Lovely. The right balance between the waxy, lanolin and chalky Tondo style and a slight freshness and lightness of foot. Balanced, complex and long. ****
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12/9/2018 - Janstan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Could not identify fruit. Went well with Moroccan sardines, stuffed mushrooms w/orange rind, Manchego cheese, Marcona almonds
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12/7/2017 - nzinkgraf wrote:
In a really great spot right now. Drinks great with simple foods.
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10/12/2017 - PEKB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful amber color. Tangerine, orange blossom, ripe yellow apples, ginger and cloudberry on the nose. Oxidative. Good acidity and aging potential. A great Rioja experience. I will try to get hold of a few more bottles from this producer!
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11/3/2016 - BrionHammond wrote: 92 Points
Lemon and tangerine on the nose. Good acid on the palate. Young, good balance and complex.
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8/18/2016 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Nice age, good acidity, a touch of bitterness (which works for the wine), maybe some older lemon notes. For some reason I get some characteristics of honey if you took out the sweet. Nice and elegant.
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8/18/2016 - ckinv368 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Orange, lemon, spice box, tangerine and some burnt pineapple. Smooth, supple, still young and fresh.
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6/17/2016 - Janstan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Surprisingly light, took about 1/2 hour to come to its best, perhaps warming up from 57. No discernable flavors. Went. Very well with Spanish smoke paprika rubbed chicken.
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10/3/2015 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl, good cork. Tondonia blanco in a light-scaled format. Drink up this vintage. 88P
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5/2/2015 - JVG wrote:
No formal notes, but this was excellent. I couldn't believe the freshness it had at 22 years old. Preserved lemon, savory oak, salinity, toasted nut, and bright acid structure. Great balance and complexity.
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2/28/2015 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last bottle, still great!
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12/24/2014 - FjordogFjell wrote: 88 Points
Forsmak på kjøkkenet: Litt flat på smak rett etter åpning, svak syre. Litt skuffende, kom seg litt i løpet av noen dager :-)
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2/5/2014 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 90 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/07/vina-tondonia-1993-blanco-reserva.html
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De color amarillo dorado, algo oscuro, limpio, reflejos dorados y ambarinos. Mucha sensación de grosor, lágrimas amplias, permanentes.
En nariz está dominado por la fruta madura y un matiz licoroso y avainillado que trae el brioche, orejones, carne de membrillo, cítricos dulces, limón escarchado. Barrica menos intrusiva de lo habitual y completamente integrada al conjunto. Despuntan suaves notas especiadas a semillas de cilantro, cúrcuma, laurel, que van ganando poco a poco más presencia. Suave, cremoso, aromático, directo, sin grandes artificios pero cumplidor.
En boca es carnoso, seco, corpulento. Muy buena acidez que da paso a un conjunto de enorme madurez con recuerdos de fruta en sazón. Adictivo, sabroso, redondo. Algo menos complejo que otras añadas pero compensado por su inmediatez. Se bebe con gran placer. No parece un vino con grandes posibilidades de envejecimiento pero sin dudas se disfruta como en pocas ocasiones.
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
90% viura, 10% malvasía - 12.5% vol.
Vendimia manual. Fermentación en viejas tinas de roble de 60 hectolitros sin control de temperatura. Permanece durante 6 años en barricas de roble americano de 225 litros. Sometido a 2 trasiegas manuales cada año. Clarificado con claras de huevos frescos. Embotellado directamente de la barrica sin filtrar. Permanece durante un mínimo de 9 años en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado. Producción limitada a 14.000 botellas.
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2/2/2014 - loegaute wrote: 90 Points
Noe kjelleraromaer den første halvtimen, men det blåser av. Voks, aprikos, kamfer, klor, røkte mandler og sherry. Konsentrert frukt og slank, intens syre. Følger opp aromaene i munnen. Flott, interessant vin. 90p.
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1/5/2014 - aro Likes this wine: 91 Points
As always, I find this needs an hour of air to really blommos. Fine acidity and oxidative apple and nut flavors. Lovely.
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12/24/2013 - Vinomark wrote: 92 Points
Adore this special wine and drinking beautifully with firm body. See my prior note...
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9/7/2013 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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8/25/2013 - honest bob wrote: 87 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork. P+P, probably a mistake. Mouldy smell blew off about 15 minutes after opening. This shows its 20 years though understatement, which we felt today equalled a lack of vigour. The slender, oxidative, dry, oak-acid profile is familiar from other traditional white Riojas, but this Reserva is a cut above, with a nice saline edge to the entry and gentle tangerine-like preserved fruit. Not bowled over tonight, but if decanted a few hours it might well break through the 90P barrier. 89P(?)
Day 2: this hasn't improved, on the contrary. Now it has something distinctly unpleasantly plastic-ether-like on the mid-palate. Not a good drink in this condition. I'll settle for 87P for P+P.
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7/11/2013 - igaf wrote:
Rich, full nose with marzipan, spice, honey, wax, very light VA, getting slightly nutty character with time. Quite fascinating. Full, fresh, very nicely balanced, waxy and complex. Apricots, citrus rind, aged notes on the palate. Very long, candied citrus aftertaste.
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7/11/2013 - avp wrote:
A tad lifted nose with baked apple, crystallized lemon, wax, varnish, baking spices, vanilla and mushrooms.
Dry and expressive on the palate with beautiful deep acidity working its magic. Golden apple, honey, slight nuttiness, earthy notes and mushrooms. Very long and complex.
This is it. Oh yeah. And this will surely keep on going for ages.
Served blind and everybody loved this. Out of the 5 guys not knowing what was served, 3-4 more or less guessed the wine (not the vintage though). That says something about the stylistic recognizability of the wine!
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4/15/2013 - octopussy Likes this wine: 93 Points
70s Rioja and Bellota Ham: Medium yellow. In the nose, this is simply fantastic, super fresh, extremely consistent in its aromatics, harmonic, well structured and appealing. There's some lemon juice and rind, passion fruit and pineapple, some nutty notes, a touch of vanilla. On the palate, it's equally great as in the nose with great structure, lots of harmony, clear aromas and great freshness. Everything in the right place and so juicy.
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4/7/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain and Portugal (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Medium deep gold color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was just fantastic, extremely complex nose and palate showing a distinct earthy character, lemon, waxy, herbs, smoked nuts. The palate has incredible vitality at 20 years old, slightly oxidative, but with plenty of fruit, citrus and some tropicals, nutty, creamy and full with a very long energetic finish. This was getting better through the evening too. Very impressive and my WOTN.
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4/7/2013 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Brought to a dinner, didn't take detailed notes. Kept a glass in front of me for 45 minutes and checked back with it periodically. Color is starting to show some goldeness to it but still tilts more to yellow. Really liked the nose where it showed orange peel, lemon, nuts and a bit of waxiness. On the palate I got peach, citrus and tropical fruits and more nuttiness. There is a slight oxidated aspect to it but felt the mouthfeel and finish were definite strong points. This showed really well and will seek out more.
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3/25/2013 - kingkanu wrote: 88 Points
Fine wine tasting with Xavier Rousset (28-50 Fetter Lane, London): Oxidative nose, quite appealing with hints of banana, rich, oily and waxy with a long finish.
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3/25/2013 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfectly drinking. Classic Tondonia. Racy, complex, long and concentrated
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3/17/2013 - Harry Hart wrote:
Very good quality wine - but too much like a very weak sherry for my taste
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1/31/2013 - kenv Likes this wine: 89 Points
WCC Rioja Blind (Dorato's Resturant, Guilderland, NY): [Opened about 35 minutes before drinking.] Gorgeous tropical fruit nose. Very dry in the mouth. Tart tangerine. More balanced with shrimp cake.
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12/29/2012 - binksmummy wrote:
lovely smooth and almost a sherry flavor, nice finish good with cream sauces
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12/24/2012 - binksmummy Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a wine that is aged for many years before release. It is complex with a golden hue. Best served ~50 degrees and aerate to allow the flavors to emerge. Best served with a creamy sauced dish to take advantage of this wine
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10/28/2012 - pifcho wrote: 90 Points
Nice bottle of wine but can't help to be a little disappointed especially after a fantastic 2001 regular Gravonia white which is not only a better wine for the money IMHO, but a better wine - period. This was nice with its slight oxidized salt caramel toffee and peach flavors, but felt a little low on energy throughout. The wine showed no movement over three days in the fridge, so clearly not in decline. Again - I would be happy to drink this again, but expected a little more.
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9/11/2012 - Biglama wrote: 93 Points
diepe gele kleur, mooi neus , oxidatieve stijl, noten, boenwas, mandarijn, veel complexiteit, smaak is nog levendig, mooie rijkdom, veel inhoud, licht plakkend, lange afdronk , zeer smakelijk, opvallende wijn, goed voor de opleiding
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8/21/2012 - Porchino wrote: 90 Points
Like a sherry. After all this time
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8/12/2012 - WillersC wrote: 94 Points
Really superb wine. Unique nose of lemon, fresh orange peel, nuts and wax. Remarkably fresh on the palate with a lovely long finish. transforms over the palate as you drink. Delcious
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7/13/2012 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points
I thought this was a good wine, but not all that great. I must say that I was bit under the weather for when I had it though, which could have explained why I did not like it all that much. It had a nicely intriguing nose, with orange peel and dried limes, some browned apples, shades of almond nut and beeswax and a nice whiff of something saline and sea-breezy. It was still really fresh on the palate, with bright lemony acidity running through an oily-texture, beeswaxy attacj into more slightly oxidative notes of apples and figs and another twist of savoury orange peel on the midpalate. Enjoyable except right at the very finish, where the wine seemed to thinned out a bit, losing flesh and showing its ribs of sea-shelly, slightly iodine mineral notes. I thought it was quite delicious for most part, nicely complex and certainly very interesting, but also that it was not all that complete a wine. So overall, nice, but not something to really shout about.
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7/2/2012 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great food wine (Italian or tapas), great length and great QPR. May improve for few years but no need to wait. Descriptions below are accurate.
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6/28/2012 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Medium golden color; savory, preserved lemon, coriander, light cumin nose; tasty, silky textured, baked lemon, mineral, preserved lemon, coriander palate; medium-plus finish 93+ points
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6/25/2012 - Vinomark wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding wine and terrific with "TAN" food feast. Long long finish with immense complexity prior. R Jennings below pegged this one well!
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5/16/2012 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Lopez de Heredia Vertical, with Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia (The Sampler, South Ken, London): 6yrs in Barrel aging here, some blending with other years (up to 15%) . Honey colour. Fruity, citrus, herby nose. Even light earthy notes. Zero oak. Special in every aspect and it’s a bit of a style that one either likes or not. We love the style. Big wine, with depth and very long. Some oxitative notes. Could use some food. 92 and very special.
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5/7/2012 - manonthemoon wrote: 85 Points
Heredia Tasting; 5/7/2012-5/8/2012 (Palena, Washington, DC): This was served as the with the second group of wines.
N cheese, grapefruit, minerals.
P Faint Honey, light lemon, minerals.
Did not show well IMO.
85-86
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3/15/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Almond, peaches and honey. And frankly, each bottle I have of this convinces me that it should be drunk right from the cork pull.
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3/14/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Peach and walnut right off the cork pull. Great finesse across the palate.
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3/7/2012 - Harley1199 wrote:
López de Heredia - Viña Tondonia (Enoteca Barolo - Madrid): Perfect vivid gold colour with watery edges.
Wax, minty, honeyed nose with a Tokaji touch. Cleary grapie. Clean citrius aromas.
Long way to run mouthfeel, acidic, short coz young. Where is that related oak? Refreshing bottle.
19 years is nothing for a Viña Tondonia like this.
Perfecto color oro vivo con bordes acuosos.
Nariz con cera, mentolado, melosa coun un toque Tokaji. Claramente afrutado. Aromas límpios a citricos.
Sensación en boca de largo recorrido, acídico, corto por joven. ¿Dónde está el esperado roble? Una botella refrescante.
19 años es nada para un Viña Tondonia como este.
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2/24/2012 - Jona wrote: 80 Points
Old but exciting
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2/19/2012 - empire80 wrote: 91 Points
Butter and hints of sherry on the nose. Very old style rioja. Decent acidity - would stand up to some fatty foods like goose or duck.
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2/17/2012 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Must and dusty aroma off the cork pull, but subsides. Banana and into pear and a minute thought of almond. Palate shows a really pretty aged richness, but not really a tonne of over-maturity to the palate. Resolving barrel and herb. Loaded with smoke on the palate. A cream soda decent on the palate and a minor thought of vanilla.
As this opens up over the course of 4/5 hours. Ripe red apple comes through.
Day 2. Damp cellar, apple fruit. Floral nuance on the palate. Smoke and ash and herb. Beeswax.
day 3. Really easy on the palate with a real water weight feel. Smoke and ash, only hinting at almond, with a little floral breath right up front on the palate.
Along side my simple salad with balsamic vinaigrette with kalamatas, and pan seared cauliflower, this wine picks up on the olive oil searing of the cauliflower. Great match, with shallot and onion, broccoli in that sautée as well. This wine works great with simply prepared foods...olive oil, garlic, shallot, onion prep.
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1/25/2012 - Sundbyberg wrote: 89 Points
This was quite alright. Very interesting nose, maybe more attractive than the palate, which offered spices one has rarely experienced before. A friend of mine loved the wine. Buy if the price is reasonable. I payed cirka 30 euro which is maybe 45 usd. Thought it was worth the money, but will not buy again.
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1/13/2012 - urban_dk Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very unique white. Notes of almond and honey on the nose, with beeswax, lemon rind, green apple and almond on the palate. Incredibly versatile, it paired well with bocarones (marinated anchovies), aged jamon iberico and also a pork tenderloin in sautéed apples and caramelized onion. Some of the waxy characteristic may be become less prominent as this beauty ages a bit further, but it is drinking wonderfully now.
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1/8/2012 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Spanish-Themed Sunday Euro Lunch (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, California): Light medium golden yellow color; floaty, almond, tart lemon, lemon gelee, sweet butter nose; tasty, youthful, oily textured, lemon oil, potato salad, light butter palate; long finish
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12/25/2011 - sharonandroland wrote: 93 Points
Even better than the last one.
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12/24/2011 - FjordogFjell wrote: 88 Points
Forsmak på kjøkkenet: Olje, ombo-plommer, gummi. Ikke helt imponert i dag, men er ikke helt i form heller. Trenger luft
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12/16/2011 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
Delicious, slightly oxidised, intentionally, as in the old style white rioja. Needed time to breathe and then the fruit flavours came out. Long and beautifully balanced by a clean ring of acidity.
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12/16/2011 - Blauweiss wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic nose, with mature fruit, almond, mushroom, honey and wax. Dry with full body and good acidity. Very rich taste that needs time to show, but rewards patience! Ripe apple, dried fruit, long aftertaste.
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12/4/2011 - lembkes Likes this wine: 88 Points
glittrande guldgul färg
lite knuten doft av brända fat och kåda, honung, gummi och nöt
frisk fräsch lite fatig smak
ett 'gott' vin i rättfram stil
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11/26/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Stale bannana bread, beeswax, honey, a body of open fresh water. Odd combination, free association on the smells. It does intrigue. Clean and persistant on the palate, goes down like water with a lingering, sappy finish. Just opened. We shall see where it goes.
Hour two: apricot and peaches on the nose, less pronouced aromatics than earlier. Still clear and crisp palate with lingering finish of beeswax.
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11/19/2011 - fanglangzhe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wax and a hint of blue cheese on the nose. On the palate - pears, tangerine, beeswax, green apple, slight vanilla. Good acidity. Good body and long finish. More impressive in the mouth than on the nose. More/heavier body than 1991 vintage.
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11/19/2011 - peterchoy wrote: 91 Points
Appearance: Bright and clear, medium gold, with watery rims and legs
Nose: Clean, medium intensity and developing aromas of biscuit, cream, pear, butter, oak, floral, nut.
Palate: Dry, medium acidity and fresh, medium alcohol, medium body with medium (+) intensity flavors of butter, cream, biscuit, pear, oak, floral and nut. Medium (+) length.
Conclusion: Very good Rioja white with a complex aged oak characters yet still retaining the freshness and a good acidity. Intense palate and reasonable nose, with a fairly long length making the wine highly enjoyable. Ready to drink now and can maintain for another 2-3 years.
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10/26/2011 - Tartiflette wrote: 91 Points
(Moo, Barcelona) No notes, but remembered it being very good...
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10/21/2011 - frebro wrote: 94 Points
A very pleasant surprise. Nose is full of autumn, damp leaves and old apples and very complex. Taste is mature, notes of fruit but less body than I'd expected and a hint of petroleum- medium bodied. By chance it matched the food perfectly and the combination was very satisying.
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10/12/2011 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
2011 Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting (City View at Metreon, San Francisco, California): Light golden yellow color; rich, savory, mineral, baked apple nose; tasty, baked apple, mineral, savory palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (90% Viura, 10% Malvasia)
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10/12/2011 - Highmountain wrote: 85 Points
Munskänkarna: Spanska vita (Uppsala): Golden yellow. Wood, vanilla and some rubber. Smells like old. A little weak taste with not much fruit left. A dying wine in my view with a very special taste. The little remaining vigor disappears from the glass during the tasting. Interesting taste but not my type of wine. Might work with tapas instead of a good sherry.
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10/3/2011 - sharonandroland wrote: 92 Points
Phenomenal.
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10/2/2011 - BullseyeOregon wrote: 92 Points
Monolithic, linear, and seamless... These words convey the integration and harmony of this wine, but they don't fit the complexity. There is so much going on here. Different fruit component like apple and mango and pineapple interact with almond and grassiness. There is an oxidative note, but not a "sherry" feel.
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10/1/2011 - FjordogFjell wrote: 91 Points
Forsmak mmm. gledelig gjensmak. Frisk og balansert, Alle ting på plass :-D merker ingen eik
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9/5/2011 - Finare Vinare wrote: 90 Points
Munskänkarna Stockholm - Tasting of September releases: Light amber colour. Very complex and interesting nose. Nuts, almonds, nougat, chocolate, canned pinapple juice, yellow apples, sherry and a hint of diesel oil. Mellow and mature taste, lacks a bit of acid bite but seems to be able to come around with more air. A meditation wine to follow over several days.
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8/24/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Smells, quite frankly, a bit corked. Again very light on the palate, seems closed down, we shall see.
Now, 10 hours later, and tasting Gravonia '01, Tonodnia Blanco Reserva '93 and Tondonia Blanco Grand Reserva '87.
The '01 Gravonia has lemon, I high hit of lime on the nose, and wax. Overall not a very pronouced smell. Maybe slight bit of herb. Lemon wax or honey wax. Thats it, honey wax candels.
The palate much heavier than before with flavors as the nose would suggest. The body is light. Its a high acid wine with the flavors running alongside the acid through the finish. The finish is legthy resolving around its acids.
Comparatively the '93 Reserva is much more wax, with hints of smoke or ash coming through as well. I am probably taking the candel metaphor too far. And it makes the '01 seem more lemony and ricey. And more pronouced aromas as well.
The palate is heavier, with more body than the Gravonia. The acid doesn't dominate the mid palate as much. The flavors (I can't really say fruit flavors) linger on the finish much longer than the gravonia as well. And then finally the acidity takes over.
This seems to be in a real sweet spot. Another taster wrote "nut-meat" and that hits the wine nicely. Some pineapple fruit in there too. Wild stuff. Really coming out. It only took 10 hours!
The '87 is of the same family, but just barely. Now the smoke and ash smells have taken over, dominating over the lemon, honey candel wax side of the equation. Like the ash in a ashed cheese. In a pleasant way.
Here the palate is absolutely seemless. The acidity, the body weight, the flavors are all in perfect harmony, all the way through the lengthy finish.
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8/4/2011 - kopatrota wrote: 89 Points
vin tres fin avec un fond de bouche aux notes, legeres, d'armagnac.
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6/1/2011 - poptart_nyc wrote: 91 Points
this is very much in the style i like from their blancos. some years are too sherried, salty. this one is a little more of the nut meat, not just the skin.
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