1/7, excellent cork. Decanted and immediately served, Nose a bit reticent at first but soon opens up to reveal dark, smoky fruit, notes of old leather and sea salt and just a touch of tobacco. Medium bodied on the palate, dark leathery fruit on initial entry, refined tannins - this has softened nicely, middleweight with lots of salinity coming through on the back of the mid-palate, fresh acids, good length finish with a touch of grip right on the tail end. Lovely, and now drinking well.
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Wine #25 and my notes at this point are a little hard to read. But I *think* we found all the charms of aging red LdH here with ample dark red fruits, strawberry compote and spice. It kind of swung in and out of being fleshy and reserved. Where LdH can have a lot of variation, this was an excellent bottle.
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Picked to match with Peri Peri chicken which it did admirably. Vanilla, red berries, especially strawberry compote, the spice lifted the fruit here, a little textured burr, fleshy rather than fresh but utterly charming. I really should have more of this sumptuous juice in my cellllar.
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Initially rather tart, red fruit and very little else. 3 hour decant and the wine did start to open up, plummy leather and a hint of dried fruit and vanilla. A bit disappointing and rather acidic, tannins yet to resolve fully and a little hot on the palette. Medium length though not sure I wanted it to last that long! Perhaps, despite the 20 years of age, this bottle was opened too early. I was really hoping for a more tertiary profile and a softening of the tannin, alcohol and acidity. 90 points
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Drinking beautifully at 20 years of age, as expected. Lovely bouquet of dark fruit. Excellent, rich mouthfeel with a lingering finish . Altogether a wonderful wine.
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Decanted for 2 hrs. This was less expressive that my previous bottle. Perhaps it needed more air? Acidity dominated the little fruit it emerged. Some pleasant tobacco. Paired better with seared venison than with a ribeye steak.
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Beautiful bouquet with red and dark berries as well as sweet spices. On the palate juicy red berries, fresh acidity and round, slightly sticky tannin. Good length and a beautiful wine.
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For the first 4h, le vin n'était pas agréable. Par la suite, il a commencé à s'ouvrir. La prochaine bouteille sera ouverte minimalement 12h à l'avance.
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Rather similar to my previous note nearly 2 years later. Decanted for 6 hours and there were moments of reticence for the first 20ish min. In the glass this eventually opened up a bit more. Very classic, singed blood orange and red fruits dance with some leathery dried herbs. One thing that did strike me is that those secondary characteristics are more integrated and complete. Elegant and delightful, if not profound and striking.
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Savoury, developed nose with a core of fresh red cherry and cranberry enveloped with earthy, dried dill, mushrooms and sultanas. Medium bodied on the palate with vibrant acidity and partly resolved tannins. Long, dried fruit and savoury finish. Drinking very well now but no rush.
WSET Notes:
Deep garnet.
Pronounced on the nose with red cherry, cranberry, dried dill, coconut, earth, leather, tobacco, soy sauce, sultana, mushroom, and dried cherry. Fully developed.
Pronounced and dry on the palate. Medium body, medium alcohol, high acidity, medium plus tannins, long finish.
Can drink now but has potential for ageing.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. Drank a glass over an hour. Same bottle as galewskj. Cherry, fresh, lacquer, full bodied, mineral, long, youthful and expressive. More to come.
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Best bottle of this vintage I have ever had, maybe because it was the oldest (so far). It seems this wine simply needs further cellaring when it comes on the market despite the relatively old age it already has. For example, I had a bottle of the vintage 2010 last year and it was rather disappointing (still).
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Splash decanted (left there for 4hrs). Wine has some bricking - ruby in color, with a tinge of brownish-orange tines. Excellent balance. Tannins close to fully integrated, very powdery. Oak also fully integrated. Medium high to high acidity. Red fruited, complicated by leather and tobacco. Very classic Tondonia.
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29 months after the prior, and our fourth: Ruby/ touch of copper/ orange, with slight bricking. Translucent edges. Beautifully in balance, with suggestions of tobacco and leather. Complex and lively. Excellent acid backbone. Excellent over three nights.
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Day 1. I struggled with this. Fairly strong oxidative elements compromised both the nose and palate for me. By Day 2 it had changed completely. A lovely integrated nose of subtle vanilla, tobacco, earth, cherry and redcurrant. On the palate a sophisticated melange of cherry, plum, raspberries and redcurrant, with the secondary bass notes of tobacco and earth. All brought together by a strong acid line and a nice touch of vanilla. It’s definitely on the savoury side but all the better for it.
Lovely stuff and note bene to myself. Don’t give up on a wine if it seems oxidised on day 1. Some wines blow it off and blossom.
Tobacco on the nose and tobacco and leather with soft sour cherry on the palate. The fruit expands with 30 to 60 min of air. I'm not getting that this is past it's prime at all. I think this is what it is gonna be for a few more years. I drink 1-2 a year of each vintage to follow several vintages at a time and they start a little lean and tart, then more rounded within 2-3 years after release and hold for several more years. This is about 6 years in and I'm at the end of my case so just about as long as I can can hold them as they are so good at the price and the vintages are reasonably consistent so I only hold the Grand Riserva's for longer.
Final bottle drink up after the last one. Consistent with my previous note - sadly the fruit has left the party. Drank alongside a glass of 2011 Ribeira and the contrast was stark.
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Good - not great. From a magnum - the fruit was still tight after pulling the cork for dinner about four hours earlier. A bit one-dimensional on the nose with mint dominating - great acidity though. I think this was just too young given the large bottle. I left one glass in the bottle, no cork and sampled it at lunch the next day. Much better with the fruit fully filling out - this needs more time, at least from a magnum…
A lot of chat on CT about bottle variation but three dodgy ones in a row tells a different story to me. Tastes tired and lifeless. Lacks any vibrancy, fruit or freshness. Over the hill - ignore the drinking window and definitely don't wait until 2040!
Notes of dried sour cherry, dried cranberries, pepper, earth, pencil box, tea, dried rose, leather, cigar tobacco sous bois and mushroom are present on both the nose and the palate. Still showing a bit of youthfulness and tension. Structured with above moderate and high-toned acidity, grippy tannins, balanced alcohol and mid-palate density. 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. 6 years in American oak barrel before going to bottle.
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First time trying tondonia as recommended by mingyao. Had it with steak. On the nose strong oak/cinnamon, on the palate, plum like, tasted very young, lacked the complexity I expected in a 19 yo wine. Nonetheless, very tasty especially its acidity. Would purchase it again for sure.
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Sour plum acid Cigar box Cinnamon and anise Good fruit Good with food Tannins still present therefore needs food Medium bodied Still many more years ahead
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Bought during our honeymoon in 2016. Cork is in perfect condition, and my bottle was drinking beautifully. Double decanted for an hour, and drank over 1.5 hours more. No rush to drink.
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Decanted 90 minutes. A tad bit of Heredia funk on the nose blew off after 10 minutes revealing all the goodness of a quality Tondonia vintage; cigar wrapper, roses, nervy plum scents etc. Carries over to the palate, but with some pretty good punch of acidity throughout. Velvety and very tactile in it’s progression down the palate, culminating in a finish that is full of both deliciousness and character. I think the 04 has long term aging potential.
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Spanish fun day one (N&J's place, Canberra): From Coravin. Leather, earth, slightly oxidised baked red fruits, smidge of vanilla, sweet spic, cream, a little fresh strawberry with time. Juicy, red hued fruit rove slight sour which lends freshness, tangy, tannins are slightly drying, persistent and support the fruit alcohol warmth is non intrusive, a little leather, vanilla, cream complete the picture, fresh, balanced. Lovely
Wow! Scores range from 84 to 95 from the ( for me ) well respected tasters. I have a slight cold, so maybe my judgement is affected. Both the nose and the overall balance got better over 3 years since I last had it. I am tending to 91-92 now, still expecting some upward movement. Very elegant. Good.
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I had this Reserva 2004 in 12/2022. A nice find in a relative’s cellar but it was not kept with the best conditions. Wine was still surprisingly good. Cork in perfect condition.
Medium garnet color; slow thick legs; Nose of ripened cherries, oak, smoke; The body has lost strength and tanins, oak leather cherry earthy flavors, light finish.
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Very nice mix of primary, secondary and tertiary flavours. None of the dank, musty qualities you get with some older bottles of Tondonia. This was balanced and sharp with good acidity. In a very nice place and, to my mind, better than the 2007 I had recently.
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Deep garnet; plush nose, rich fruit & some oak; palate mirrors nose, rounded tannins, acidity underscores; well mannered finishes. This has more to deliver.
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Audized w/ cork out for about 30 minutes then fully decanted before serving. Spicy, oaky notes of cigar box and cedar on the immediate decant which evolved into the more traditional, aged Tondonia nose- red and black fruits, black cherry especially, with tomato paste, damp earth, kir / liqueur, bloody meat, and iron-like minterality. Love the way the nose develops after about an hour in the decanter, oaky cedar notes notes move in and out of the foreground with the primary fruit and secondary earth, want to just consume this wine through its aromas.
Palate retains this vibrancy with one of the more unique Tondonia profiles- tart blackberries and mushroom compost umami with bone marrow and hints of iodine, spicy Cameroon leaf wrapped cigars, white pepper, and oak vanilla. The leathery, leafy tannins are met with almost immediate, re-wetting acidic regeneration that lights up all areas of the palate; a true sensory jamboree.
The longer it breathes in the decanter, both the nose and palate become more energized with black fruits and the tertiary leather & tobacco become more pronounced; BUT, once you think you have this wine figured out, it switches gears completely to red cherries, pomegranate, and sweet persimmon. I kept having to go back and update my notes which seemed like it gave the wine just enough time to develop into something else.
Every LdH tasting note I write it always ends with pining for the days when this was sub-$30 a bottle but damn, talk about punching above your weight. Solid A (95) evaluation.
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Decanted for 2-3h, definitely improved with time, shifting from tart cherries, to a more juicy expression. The nose has eucalyptus, spices, oak. On the palate, the cherries on the attack, backed up by mineral, forest floor, spices, and a long acid tempranillo finish. Great complexity. Paired with chicken in herb infused mushroom cream sauce. 92/93
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Wow talk about bottle variation. Drinking very nicely right now. Colour : Garnet to browning. Very little sediment. Aromas : Cherries, plums, coconut, incense, cigar smoke. Also dried fruit, savoury spice and cedar notes. Nicely complex but subtle. Flavours : Delicious, medium bodied. Bit of a stewed feel ... berry liqueur, but fluid and not soupy/thick feeling. Great structure overall. Tannins are slightly chewy, ripe. Some balsamics and prunes, figs creeping in. Still getting some cherry/berry fruit and plums and berry liqueur. Some herbal notes like savory also showing. Medium acidity. No rough edges, round and smooth. What a fantastic bottle. Its why this is one of my favourite brands to collect and drink.
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PNP. Cork perfect. Color dark garnet. This one strikes a balance for me. Sometimes the LDH wines are a little closed down nedding air and even more age. This one is more plump and succulent from go and although it shows all of the characteristics you would expect to me it is more full bodied. surprisingly more approachable than other vintages. Went down easily tonight with duck breast topped with a blueberry reduction. I think I will hang onto remaining bottles because this is in no danger of decline.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Rioja (By RW and PB): In the bouquet dark berries, a bit rustic, tea and tertiary. On the palate very ripe red and dark berry fruits, chocolate, licorice, juicy acidity, balsamic acid, a firm amount of bitterness and slightly sticky tannin.
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This was from a by the glass pour. Right away, this is unmistakably LdH as tones of sour red fruits, raspberries, cranberries, dill, vanilla beans, tobbacco, leather, tomato leaf, oak, and dried herbs. The nose is beautifully complex and firing on all cylinders. The Medium/full bodied feel is robust and a bit angular with tart, medium+ acidity and silky, medium tannins. This feels like its right in its window. There is a long life ahead of it, but it is a real joy to drink right now.
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Coravin fun - Rioja and lunch selection (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Sweet spice, generous red berry (especially strawberry) fruit, a little baked, slightly oxidised, touch of vanilla. Sourly juicy, tiny vanilla, then there is a more generous almost red cherry note, tannins are chalky, slight alcohol warmth on the finish with some creamier elements. Okay.
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Surprisingly fresh and savoury, black cherry fruit develops a silky smooth mouthfeel extending into a superfine lingering finish. Perfectly balanced and proportioned, this is currently drinking superbly. A really serious contender. CHP 94 pts
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Yeah it feels good to know you can always return to ldh. This bottle had tca taint, and I was really upset. After decanting, heating in room temp for 2 h, and excessive swirling it went away, but still. However I prefer to focus on the upside (if there is one) and boy - what beauty after a few hrs! Constantly evolving and changing with every sip. Judging by this bottle this is perfect timing - acid and tannin have mellowed out, tertiary notes all over the place but fruit still lively. Balance by integration.
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First taste on opening was unpleasantly acidic and imbalanced, and managed to give it a 4h decant before drinking with dinner (meant to get it open earlier, but alas). By that point it was transformed and everything one would hope from a traditional rioja. We put a stopper in the decanter to save a glass for ourselves tmrw - interesting to see how it changes between now and then. Drank with a boeuf bourguignon on a chilly Saturday night at home.
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Disappointing. Garnet in colour. Aromas of dark berry fruit, balsamic and oxidative notes. Sandalwood, incense, smoky. Flavours show tea and balsamic notes, with sherry-like oxidative flavours. Red and dark berry fruit. Earthy, spices, and peppery flavours as well on the finish. Touch of caramel. Acidity has definitely declined, to a point where the wine shows touches of flabbiness. Smooth ripe dusty tannins. A savouriness on the finish.
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Open and tempting bouquet of sour cherries, the palate is light yet dense, lively and mouthwatering, sour dark cherries, polished mahogany, Spanish saddle leather, savoury spiciness, dry as British humour but Spanish through and through. Not a ripe heavy hitter but structure driven and classical. Good acidity as always, refined tannins. Long dry finish which virtually screams old skool Rioja. It took a while to get here but now the 2004 is the quintessential vintage of red Viña Tondonia Reserva. It is hard to see this wine being better but let's wait for the 2010 to be released (and give the already available post 2004 vintages a chance too). In the meantime, this is nearly perfect leaving pretty much nothing to be desired.
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Despite being open for 24hrs, this still came across as rather tight. Tangy, juicy red fruits are still tightly woven. The secondary characteristics are dominated by pipe tobacco, leather, and dill - these are showing nicely. Supremely supple texture and lovely tannins, but these need many more years. Bottle varitation of course means some may be in a better place (as was my last bottle 18 months ago!) than others.
My third bottle since I got hold of a case of 6 1.5 years ago.
This bottle I literally stored under the bed for a year to see how it develops. So it has been stored poorly (higher temp for 1 year) to speed things along.
Pop and pour. Absolutely lovely already. After the initial vanilla has faded, spice coupled with sour cherry, tons of spice, netmeg, meaty…
Palate superb, med+ length, med tanin, Love it.
Decanting should help with more complexity but already so attractive. This is miles different to my previous 2 bottles where it was just so muted before decanting.
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PnP. Dusty ruby. Old furniture polish and dried coconut flakes nose. Thin, sour and dusty. Seemed sort of shut down. Limited tertiary notes. Began to open up after two hours but by then it was gone.
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Beautiful and expressive nose offering dried tomatoes, old furniture, coconut, cherries and those signature blood / iron notes of LdH. At least the nose on this bottle seems clearly more mature / ready than my last bottle some 1.5 years ago. But the palate is still fresh of course with high acidity that is in harmony with the ripe fruit and sensual tannins. Again lots of dried tomatoes and blood displaying real character. This is now slowly getting there, but still upside I think. 17.5+/20
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Son brought this bottle for Thanksgiving weekend. Very much fun and wonderful. As it opened it became wonderful. Early, nutty and raw meat. Much softer as it opens with more vanilla and specifically almond. Earthy gives way to dried fruit. Tobacco early
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Had a bad experience recently with the 2008 vintage. I thought maybe it was too young. So, I thought I would try the 2004 vintage. What a disappointment, just like the 2008. Completely one-dimensional and uneventful upon opening. Decanted FIVE hours and not much improvement at all. Tasted like a $25 bottle (I paid $85). I just don’t get it. What is the attraction?
Tomado sin decantar, simplemente abierto una hora antes. Presenta un color picota de baja intensidad muy atejado en general. El aroma es vivo y profundo y da una hermosa combinación de elementos frutales con terciarios; se encuentran arándanos, eneldo fresas y cerezas, y junto con todo ello también se encuentran champiñones, ebanistería fina,y tierra mojada. La boca es de cuerpo medio, pero mucho más intenso que la añada del 2002 que probé hace unos meses, lo que indica que aún debe sufrir el proceso de adelgazamiento que es propio de estos vinos. Los taninos son suaves, finos y sedosos. Muy expresivo, con fruta oscura bien integrada, acidez marcada y final muy largo y amargante. Debe evolucionar todavía
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Tasted blind. This is a rather disjointed wine, but I think it will improve with age. It has savory acidity and big tannins. The aromas remind me of yogurt, dill, stinky leather, and dried, tart red cherries. My best guess is this is a young Rioja. Rating: 89.
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Appearance: deep tawny color with hints of orange, medium tearing, light staining, no gas, some sediment. Definite rim variation, with lighter orange/red colors towards the edge of class.
Nose: clean medium(+) intensity sweet butterscotch with notes of coconut/dill secondary aromas.
Palate: Medium flavors of caramel with notes of orange peel, forest floor, and dill. High acidity, fairly big tannins that get stronger after a couple of seconds on the tongue, medium alcohol, medium(+) bodied, smooth textured, with a medium(+) woodsy and slightly smoky finish.
A very intriguing and more process-driven Rioja, A lot of age and nice finish.
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This wine can go for quite a while more. Nose dark fruit, tabacco, slight vanilla. Taste has sour cream, slight dill, finish has a very strong mushroom flavor. Opened 1 hr before drinking.
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37 months after the prior, and our third: Medium light ruby with some translucence at the edges. Savory, dusty, with bare suggestions of pleasant funk and perhaps bit of musk. Yes, as some notes below suggest, old leather and maybe a hint of blood orange. Beautifully balanced, with lovely acidity. Highly enjoyable over three nights.
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This has a simply exquisite nose after a 2 hour decant-- tobacco, candied fruit, spice. In the mouth it is less expressive with medium body, faded fruit, and short finish. In my opinion, the trajectory of this wine may be downward at 17 years old, though my experience with very old Rioja is limited. I will drink my 2 remaining bottles over the coming 1-2 years
Bottle and cork in perfect condition. Medium to dark ruby colour. Red fruit, blood orange, dill, tobacco, leather, light coffee, spices, light vanilla, and light balsamic notes, with great acidity, fine tannin and superb length. Good intensity. Medium-bodied, well-balanced and fairly smoothly textured. Good! The 2004 is my favourite of the more recent vintages. Drink with a two-hour decant, or hold. 91(+)
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Pretty nose of red fruit, cedar, and a hint of chocolate and tobacco. Nice acidity with red fruit, iron, medium tannins, and blood orange notes on the palate. Nice finish. Drinking quite well already!
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Better than my last bottle - felt a lot more structured. Fruit was still there and it didn't have the slightly over-aged age to it that my last bottle had. It was actually hard to define as a Rioja which is unusual. Two more left to be drunk over the next couple of years. CT drinking window open until 2029 - I wouldn't recommend waiting that long...
Coravin. Medium youthful ruby; aromatic, slight VA, dill, black fruits, plummy; palate is medium bodied, medium-plus acidity, balanced medium alcohol (13%), fruit fades through the midpalate which is quite noticeable; finish is medium-minus length. Similar to my bottle from last year, this vintage seems weaker than average for LdH. 89
Day1 23:00: pop and pour out until mid shoulder and leave in wine cellar for tomorrow.
PnP: vanilla and oak, some meaty tones. The vanilla notes goes away after 5 mins, with the meaty notes remaining. Palate med to full bodied, with good acidity. Not much to write about.
Looking forward to testing it tomorrow..... to be continued.
Day 2 20:00: (so 21 hours after opening.) first glass appear muted, was regretting the experiment until it started to emerge on second and third glass.
Nose: med minus intensity, red fruit, red cherry?, vanilla, with meaty notes underneath. Good, nothing inspiring. But still have a feeling something is hiding under it.
Palate: med bodied, sour cherry, sweet vanilla, med length. Superb like the palate a lot.
Very good. Next time I would bottle breathe again if forced to pop one but would probably leave it under the bed for 5 more years.
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Not sure about the condition of this bottle. Was good but not greatly expressive. Past it by day 3. Nose was compact with a healthy kick off spice. Palate is refined, with a tinge of sour fruit and that spice kicking in at the end. Judgement reserved
On the nose macerated black cherries some light sous bois and vanilla. This carries on to the palate. It is a medium body. Very long. Tannins have softened and fully integrated. Wine has a lovely fresh acidity throughout, beginning to end.
94-95
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The wine is brick red with a brownish edge. Complex and deep scent of leather, lightly moistened tobacco. Dark fruit, blackberries, mint, forest, and spices. It may be the season but I also find hints of almond/marzipan. Still tight structure. The wine is perceived as mature and tastes of tobacco, sweet and sour fruits, and ripe red apples
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right from the start, this was closed and a bit tart 2 hour decant -high energy, a bit wound up, vibrant acidity after 5 hours, this mellowed, came together but was still a bit held back. it is really lovely but i felt from all of the stages that i tasted this through , it was not showing itself well at all. it was timid but has back bone. for me, this was at an awkward stage. Considering it's track record, and vintage, this needs to go longer in the cellar. i have 4 more bottles and i wont touch another for about 4 to 5 years. i think it will hit its stride in 8 or so. i am sure that this will be a beauty when it is at the right point. don't get me wrong, this was nice, very nice but it is not showing all of it's feathers at the moment
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Drinking wonderfully, but could easily use more time with more savory evolution. Still with bright cherries on palate, and cedar, tobacco and leather notes. A smidge more new world than I'm used to in Tondonia bottlings.
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Garnet in colour. Aromas of dark berry fruit, sandalwood, incense, smoky. Flavours show tea and balsamic notes on top of the red and dark berry fruit. Earthy, spices, and peppery flavours as well on the finish. Touch of vanilla. Nice acidity with a bit of tanginess on the berry fruit flavours. Smooth ripe dusty tannins. A savouriness on the finish.
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Very slow development here, almost no evolution since my last bottle a bit more than 1.5 years ago. This is still a bit reserved, even after some hours in the decanter. I still think this will turn out as a top vintage of Tondonia with its beautiful, mineral, dark fruit core, the very lively acidity, fine tannins and silky texture, and is already a true showcase of how elegant Spanish wine can be. But somehow I don't lose the feeling that there is something even greater buried here still, hiding for the really patient. Time will tell. 17.5+/20
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I’ve only had a few other vintages, but having become more familiar with 06 and 07, the 2004 shows a little less rustic and more fruit forward, even at this stage. The nose shows dried red fruits and dry herbs. On the palate, the wine has good freshness, with notes of red currant and dehydrated strawberry. Despite a pleasing texture it is decidedly not resolved though. I would estimate at least a decade for that, maybe more.
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Riojan investigation (Frank's place in Matraville): From Coravin. A little black tea note supports red fruits, spice, earth, muted vanilla and, with time, red berry lozenges with touches of almost peppery spcie. In the mouth it's juicy with medium plus intensity acidity, savoury, slightly meaty elements as well as red berries and a slightly silky tannic burr. Wetly enjoyable.
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From half Bottle. Just had a sip with Surf and Turf on a weekday Lunch. It was really great directly out of the bottle. The 2nd glass in the in the evening had lost a lot. Pop and pour.
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Yet another bottle of this enduring classic. So much has been said about this wine... And this vintage just keeps on giving. Peppery and saline spicy and austere. Uncompromising and authentic. Still great, but still young. Decades left in this. So good.
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Dark purple still, with tiny bit of fade at rim Immediately after opening - very closed After 2 hour decant - Cherry, blueberry notes, tobacco, chocolate on nose. Blueberries and cherries on palate with hints of minty coolness. Some spice towards the end with tobacco notes. 4-6 hours - more harmonised, open. Dark berry sweetness with more earthy notes. Hints of currants. Evolves. Subtle, well integrated. Sweet finish.
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Light ruby. When first opened, it was lean (completely without texture) and green, with a predominant and aggressive tone of fennel. I was not convinced that time in a decanter would help, but I was wrong. What emerged 4 hours later was a medium bodied wine with a much better mouth feel, blackberry fruit that approached but did not achieve real sweetness, and a firm, earthy, very mineral core. The green had pulled back to a more gentle, high toned menthol. In the end, very good but clearly not an ethereally silky or particularly charming Lopez de Heredia wine. I was really impressed with this in 2016, but 2 subsequent bottles have not been nearly as good. At any rate, I've got two words of advice for anyone opening one over the near term: decant it!
Still quit dark, dense garnet colour. On initial opening, a good blast of funk, barnyard and old flower vase and darker fruits. It took a while for the funkiness to blow off, to reveal a core of dark dense fruits (more stewed and preserved than fresh).
This is still a baby, we kept half the bottle in the decanter, and on day three it is still coiled up (in common with many wines of the vintage), with a slight tannic grip. IMHO needs to relax a few more years to peak , hopefully meshing together and becoming a little more elegant.
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Phil's Birthday tasting (Phil's place, Putney, Sydney): From Coravin. Leather, red berry sweet spice, toast, a little vanilla, dried raisins and currants. More of the same on the palate with quite sharp acidity and drying, talc textured tannins. The fruit is joined by a little cream. Hmm, the acid is a little pokey for me on this occasion.
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One glass. Surprisingly elegant and round with gentle tannins, medium astringency. Classically Rioja perfume with concentrated red fruits (cranberries, blackberries, black cherries, blackcurrants), some tobacco and leather, smoke, an acidic yogurt-like sensation, fresh roses and potpourri, fresh blood and iron, a slight farmyard note. 92pt
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Dark brick garnet color. Perfumed nose of dark fruits. Flavors of plum, dark cherry, cinnamon, and clove. The wine is very acidic with bold tannins. The fruit is slightly faded, but should come back into balance as the acidity and tannins further resolve over the next few years. Drink now, but only with at least an hour or two decant. This has at least another 10+ years ahead of it. Very traditional old school Rioja.
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Medium ruby. Silky, vanilla notes, juicy red fruit. This was completely closed-in in 2017 when I last tried it. Now very pleasurable. No Many years ahead. Wish I had bought more.
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Disappointing. Tastes too old even for a 2004 Reserva Rioja - never lost the prune-like aroma. Also lacks the silky smooth rich taste I was expecting. Strange but true. Got three left - could be bottle variation but won't be hanging around too long to find out.
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Vivid red fruit and bracing acidity, with a little funk and the typical hallmarks of old school rioja. On day two nose had turned and palate slightly overly stewed fruit. No hurry but drink within the day once open.
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Ruby with ligher outer third. Subdued nose but some pine and balsam wood. Medium to lighter weight showing the wood. More herbal than fruit flavors and a surprising chocolate note underneath. Mineral finish. Tonight it is too dry and has too much oak for me. Not as good as I remember it, and not nearly as harmonious or silky as the best Lopez de Heredia wines can be.
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Regretably, an off half bottle here after tasting and noting 3 prior beautiful halves, last in May of last year. The oxidation which added interest in other bottles has taken over the wine. Too much mature amber, too lean, oaky, metallic. Riojas sometimes come around after 30 years and surprise you, but not this bottle.
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Minimal sediment. Medium ruby; medium intensity aromas with dill, black fruits, plum, slight cacao; palate is medium bodied, medium-plus acidity, darker fruits well integrated, medium to medium-plus alcohol (bottle says 13% but comes across as 14%), fruit fades a bit through the midpalate; short-medium length finish. Youthful, and I think this will improve with decanting. 88+ 2 hours air: This blends together a bit better, still shows its oak but the fruit persists a bit more through the midpalate and alcohol is more in check. Finish is still a bit short-medium. 89-90 6 hours: similar to 2 hours.
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Six hour decant and oh what a wine. On opening, fruit was a little thin and acidic. Blossoms into a fragrant expression of plummy red fruit with dill, tobacco, and old leather. Multilayered and medium bodied, this has a structure that is so wonderfully versatile with food and really picks up on smokey notes, like Chorizo, beautifully.
Coravin fun - Leoville Barton & new arrivals (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Red berries; especially strawberry, sweet spice, vanilla, caramel, slightly oxidative notes, slight herbaceous elements and biscuit, with time earthy elements and the vanilla is more to the fore. Juicy, slightly sour, fruit, that oxidative note is on the palate as well, wetly meaty, tannins are chalky, a little vanilla, slightly alcohol warmth, interesting, long. Nice.
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Lovely stuff. Always reminding me that I’m nuts not to drink more Rioja. Amazing flavour. Low price. Come on. So this one is wood, toast, cherries, wood that has been smashed and left with a Spanish nobility to the nose.
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cheers - the 1.5L size has helped prolong some of the fruit to perfectly balance the 15 years of aging on this incredible rioja. gorgeous wine on xmas eve.
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A blend of Tempranillo (75%), Garnacha (15%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%). Fermented spontaneously in old oak fermenters, aged in old American oak barriques for 6 years, bottled unfiltered and then aged for further 50 months in bottle. This wine could be easily labeled as Gran Reserva, but R. L. de Heredia chooses not to, because the wines labeled as Gran Reservas are aged even longer. 13% alcohol. Total production 260,000 bottles. Tasted in a Tondonia mini-vertical of 2002-2007.
Almost completely opaque black cherry color that permits very little light through, except from the wide, pale rim. At first the nose feels quite dry, fine-tuned and understated, but slowly starts to open up revealing aromas of strawberries, some red plums, a little bit of sweet leathery funk, light bretty notes of phenolic smoke, a hint of gunmetal and a touch of ripe black cherry. The wine is lively, medium-bodied quite ripe on the palate with dry, crunchy and somewhat concentrated flavors of wild strawberries, sour cherries, some stony minerality, a little bit of savory old leather, light red plum tones, metallic hints of blood and iron and a touch of greasy, gamey meat. The wine is impressively structured with its high acidity and moderately grippy yet quite ripe tannins. The finish is juicy, dry and rather tannic with long, savory flavors of sour cherries, tart red plums, some leathery tones, a little bit of wild strawberry, light earthy tones and a hint of bretty phenolic spice.
A very impressive, stern and structure-driven vintage of Tondonia with a beautiful combination of ripe yet fresh and crunchy fruit and rather assertive, muscular structure. Overall this wine felt more like a younger version of Tondonia Gran Reserva than your typical Tondonia Reserva. The overall feel is unashamedly old-school with the savory, subtly oxidative flavors and undertones of bretty funk. It feels like brett has also contributed a subtly metallic undertone to the wine, which takes a slight toll on the final score, but even then this is perhaps the best vintage of Tondonia Reserva from the 2000's. Most likely it will age like crazy if just left in a cellar. Exceptional value at 22€.
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Mahogany and sour, slightly lactic features on the nose, the palate is classy as should be for such a strong vintage, noble wood, black cherries, plums, dark chocolate, a bit metallic the way these may get, a great balanced wine which is now ready to drink but will last, clearly my favourite in the mini-vertical.
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Fabulous stuff. Old school classical rioja reserve. I love this style. Sous bois, oak (not over the top but very well integrated), tobacco, crisp red fruits to give this a lovely acid/fresh streak.
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Garnet-tawny appearance. Classic notes of plums, leather and dark chocolate on the nose and palate. With ample but balanced acidity, this will continue to gain complexity for many years.
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Drank over two days. Tight and closed on day 1, but really opened up and brightened on day 2. Definitely decant this one and give it time to come back to life.
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Italian Dinner Chez David (David's Place, Mpls): Dark red color. PNP, small glass over 30 minutes. A bonus bottle from David, this is really starting to round into form. This is developing a perfume of deep cherry, lacquer, earth, violets, cigar and leather. The palate has moderate tannins and a deep medium full bodied frame that is consistent with the nose. Excellent, 92+pts.
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Definite cherry and leather notes on the nose with medium ruby red colour and some bricking evident. Tannins are so silky and almost fully integrated at this point, and yet I wonder if this is entering a bit of a quiescent phase as I have enjoyed previous bottles a little more. Will try again in 1-2 years to reassess
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Day 3 notes: sweet cherry, leather, pencil, dense damp and smoky Palate: savoury full bodied, sweet tannin, nice.
On Day 1 and 2, it was pleasant, but I could only say “it’s feels as though there is more to it.” On Day 3, it is finally emerging and the rating is based on Day 3.
Very often with these nice aged Spanish wines, I feel the first few glasses so often does not do it justice. And Not until I’m nearly finished the bottle is when I truely enjoy the wine. I’ve tried using a vinturi aerator after coravin on my first pour, but it just doesn’t get the same results as Day3. If you know a way, do not hesitate to let me know!
This is old school Rioja in its truest expression. Nice showing. Cigar, leather, cherry, and earthy characteristics. I would say this wine has years to go and plenty of room for improvement. Decanted for an hour before drinking and it completely transformed.
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Opened about 2 hours before dinner, but did not decant. Subdued red fruit, earth, some vanilla. Very smooth. Less complexity than I was hoping for given age. Showed much better when paired with seafood and chorizo paella. Interested to try other vintages, but would buy this one again.
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Red fruit, vanilla, tobacco, plum, and dark berries on the nose. Great acidity, with flavors of tart dark berries, cedar, blood orange, and a hint of pomegranate on the palate. Good finish.
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I’ve had this wine 5 years ago; and then again (last night) from a magnum (thanks to a generous friend!) Was not decanted; and was initially cedary and planky. After 45 minutes, or so; the complexity came out. Sweet breads, forest floor and some sandalwood. Medium bodied with more “traditional” Rioja flavors of oak, balsamic notes and leather. I think the 2004 was a lighter Rioja vintage; and can be enjoyed now.
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My third note on this beauty; I’ve only been drinking halves because the full bottles require a few more years, and there seems to be more variation. Five halves Ive had have been great. Tonight, there’s an aroma of Mexican cinnamon/chili chocolate, mint, and cocoa shortbread. Some iodine and blackberry as well. This is all about complex acidity, which is not always appreciated, if one’s taste runs toward fleshier wines. Like cranberries very lightly coated in carob and dark chocolate, not full bodied but long, and superb with food. I made crispy chorizo and onion bits over a coarse corn meal, dandelion green, and (rehydrated) dried morel polenta, using turkey broth and a knob of tangy goat butter. Yummy.
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Garnet translucent core, scarlett towards the edge, clear rim. Nose of young strawberry, ginseng, spices, elegant and pleasant; acid spine prominent throughout, bright red fruits, a whisper of chalky tannin just holding on, an earthy tobacco leaf twist to finish, good length. The fruits build in volume with air. Lovely balance. Normal 750ml bottles have many years ahead.
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Pitch-perfect old-school Rioja expression, with tons of leathery, earthy, and tobacco/ash aromas and dusty sour cherry and dill flavors. Bolder, darker fruit expression than in most vintages of Lopez, but no loss of acidity or focus with the denser fruit profile. Excellent now, but with ample stuffing for the long haul. Muy bueno.
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Considerable bottle variation on these. This specimen had a stewed quality, but turgid, lacking vibrancy. Nothing much ever changes at Lopez, and the 1962 was clean and lively, so maybe it just needs 20 years. Judgment reserved.
As Ash kept saying in the Evil Dead movies, groovy. Pretty red fruit accented by more low toned earthy and cedary notes, with air bringing out light floral and tobacco notes. There's a sense of polish here that makes it very easy to drink, though there is some fine grained tannin on the back end that never really eases with air.
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Annual Coravin blitz - day one (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Biscuit, red berry, cream, slight vanilla, muted though a little brooding. Slightly oxidised and rather spicy in the mouth with a little flour textured grip accompanying warm red berry fruit. Long.
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Cedar wood and blackberries aroma with hints of strawberries, accompanied by an acidic tone to the aroma. Palate was dominated by salinity and plum fruit notes with mild oakiness. Tannins were not felt, would have preferred if there was more structure to this wine. Not long at all, felt a tad bit closed. Perhaps my expectations was a little too high for this bottle.
Cherries, leather, tobacco, prominent vanilla/baking spice and black tea. Went well with a Mediterranean meal - great food wine. Somewhat austere at the moment, but I’ve got a feeling this will be better tomorrow.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs - Gutierrez nailed this wine and his review. Lots of tea, leather and balsamic on the nose. Nice acidity and pop of dried cherry in the mouth. An excellatnt nice Rioja.
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I last tasted and noted a half bottle of this in April, and gave it 93 points. It’s only getting better, and in my somewhat contrarian opinion, its perfectly delicious to drink tonight (with the little bottle open for an hour before tasting), as it will be in 20 years. Tonight I made dinner with lustier flavors to see if it would hold up: Iberico pork loin end marinated for 6 hours in cassareep, hoisin, fish sauce, smoked shoyu, mirin, coffee and orange juice. Broccoli rabe with garlic, dark maple syrup, and hot pepper and some lovely Indian Gold basmati. The bitterness of the rabe clashed with the wines gorgeous black fruit, but with the pork, seared six minutes in hot cast iron, it was a memorable pairing, each sip of wine was a savory dessert following each bite of meat, the exotic flavors of both, perfectly compatible. Be bold pairing rioja, it’s an amazing food companion.
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Felt very young on initial encounter. Prominent acidity. After 24 hours in decanter, had become a lovely wine: much more integrated, more prominent bouquet and leather and dark cherry on the palate. A lovely traditional Rioja, eventually.
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Medium light red. Restrained nose, antique store, old wood, red fruit and plum nose. Nice dry cherry, plum and tobacco flavours and a dry finish. A medium weight wine that needs to develop some secondary character.
From a magnum.
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I bought 2 bottles based on CT tasting notes and scores. I drank it because a good friend was over and I wanted to know if I should by more. Almost ruby red coming out of the bottle with a bit of browning. Energetic cherries on a leather background. Still with acidity. We great with a beef, sausage and porcini ragu. Still has many years ahead. Delicious wine and I will buy more.
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The wine deities have certainly smiled upon me, affording the opportunity to taste this divine tonic twice in the space of two months. I came away with all the same impressions, most notably its youth. The wine's compelling substance aside, opening this now is tantamount to waste, unless enjoying over several days, as was my good fortune in July. Recommend burying, literally, for no less than a decade. Indeed, even two decades seems safe. It should last through 2045+.
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This wine ages forever, love the layers of pretty oak, followed by a melange of dark and red fruit, layers of black tea amd tobacco leaf. Perfect balance with present acids
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This half bottle a little more appealing than the half earlier this year. The nose a little oak dominated, but the fruit does shine through the veneer.
Much better balance of flavours on the palate and despite still having quite furry tannins, there is enough stuffing to carry them, plus good length to the finish.
Fully mature right out of the bottle. Coconut, vanilla, dust, earth and sour cherry on the nose. On the palate, sour cherry. Slightly unbalanced, with fruit faded. Long finish.
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3-hour decant followed by double decant...fairly closed initially, the last third of the bottle finally opened out to what I hope will happen naturally in another five years or so. Oak is there but unobtrusive, everything perfectly in balance, puts most other Reservas to shame!
Opened two hours prior to pouring. The fruit was vivid and fresh. Still a young wine but quenching as all getup! As the night went on and on days two and three the wine showed more musk and drier fruit.
As a primary wine it is very enjoyable. If you're looking for tertiary notes there is still a lot of time between now and then.
They just don't make much wine like this anymore. They being everyone else. Don't make being unfortunately. This is a wine you bring out when most people at the table are eating a hearty meal, celebrating something, appreciate fine wine, or in my case all of the above. Lovely.
tasted blind. browned burgundy color. Nose kirsch, candied fruit. Palate tart cherries, light herbal tomato, rippling texture; hint of tannins on finish. Tastes mature though given the track record would seem to have a lot of upside. Good complexity. 92 pts
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Studied over four days. Pulled the cork, poured a few ounces, tasted, and promptly recorked. This pour was somewhat wasted, as even after an hour in the glass the wine's reticence and palate-scouring acids made the tasting experience on this day 'scientifically' informative, if less than pleasurable. Far more approachable on the second day, suggesting an eight to ten hour decant would not be excessive if drinking now. True to style, which it expressed with power and verve, including prominent notes of fresh herbs, hard red clay, cured meats, and umami. The least attractive facet of quality Rioja to this palate (why Rioja remains interesting, yet something less than appealing), the dried urea element (an apparent amalgam of the oxidative style, oak aging (dill), and terroir imparted essences), also showed prominently on this day. The wine made its mark on the third and fourth days. The red fruit, clay, and urea notes receded into a layered red and purple berry driven framework of earth, spices (including hints of cayenne), cured ham, and umami, all partially oak imparted. (This is the second least pleasing element of Rioja: wood imparted complexity, which comes off as intentionally manipulated. This aside, the oak imparted depth of Rioja certainly intrigues.) On the whole, I found this bottle as pleasurable as any example I have crossed paths with. Also noteworthy: the wine imparted a striking impression of youth. Far from maturity, and while approachable after a long decant, it will show better in five to seven years. Recommend holding. 93-94.
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Ö: Restaurangköp, Detta vin är en ren njutning!! Bra syra och åldern känns knappast överhuvudtaget i doft och smak. Tanninerna är snygga och fortfarande väldigt pigga. Eftersmaken är väldigt balanserad och extremt lång. Detta vin har ett långt liv framför sig men njuts helt perfekt för tillfället. Kommer komma tillbaka till denna fler gånger!!
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Fresh bright red fruit on the palate. Firm but round tanins. No sediment. Medium body and medium plus acidity. Decanted more than an hour and drank over a period of three hours. It never seemed to open up aromatically or flavorally. I'm not sure if it's too young (just entering drinking window) or if it's just not as complex as I anticipated. Two more bottles... I'll sit on them for a year and see what happens. I'm going to stick with Grand Reserve in the future.
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Just delicious - near it's peak. I have two bottles left - 1 I will pair with a 2004 Leoville Barton and 1 I will pair with a 2004 Montrose just for fun. I think they will perform well. Excellent stuff. I love this producer.
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This was lovely, really settled down since my last bottle a year ago. It has slight bricking at the edges. Otherwise, it has that uncompromising Heredia spine of taut acidity, along with a wonderful ferrous/bloody meat quality that accompanies the cherry and tobacco notes. Dynamite when paired with a strongly flavored tomato/anchovy/rosemary dish. I had been going to load up on more 2005 but this 2004 is rounding into something special.
A polished wine which for me has a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but not much character. Disclaimer: not privy to the greatness of rioja, never have been.
From half bottle, cellar stored. Beautiful nose: crushed black cherries, wet slate, iron dust, tobacco, bitter chocolate. These all carry through on the palate, with more warm food friendly spices: cinammon, star anise, allspice. I drank this with braised chicken thighs, I opened another half bottle to add a cup to the braising liquid, with cinammon stick, shittake mushrooms, ginger slices, and buckwheat honey roasted parsnip chunks. Yummy.
Pnp; Showed great at dinner (Paired with lamb), felt a little more balanced than bottle opened this past December. A little dried orange peel, some spanish spicy-ness, dried cherry, great acidity which made this very versatile with food. Tannin was balanced and soft, body was medium, not a show stopper by any means but a very nice Rioja. Given the price point this is an easy opener that is ready to go.
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Our second in two months, and once again, Ohne-Musik’s note is apt for us. Beautiful and thoughtful savory complexity. It completely outshone a 2010 BV Private Reserve, and was the preferred red of the dinner party.
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Dinner with the Davids (Home): Pop and Poured. This was a great bottle - much more ready for action than the previous bottle. Classic Tondonia profile - elegant red cherry, orange spice, uncured tobacco, cedar, a touch of dill, and a bit of barnyard funk. Grippy tannins still.
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Consumed from a 375 at Bourbons steakhouse in Glendale, CA. Agree with Deux and recent reviews. Savory, balanced acidity and tannin, pepper notes, orange peel, bright cherry, and a lengthy finish. Well done.
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At Sagardi, with Andrew and Fletcher. No formal note. Pale/medium garnet. Gentle dark fruit, tobacco, firmish tannins, fresh acidity, leanish, needs time to soften and fill out.
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good full flavoured Rioja. A structured wine with deep berry notes and long finish. High quality and drinking al be it no real secondary flavours at the moment.
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Monthly Tasting Group EEE #069: Spain; Rioja (@ EO): The bouquet is a bit locked but shows dark berries, leather and herbs. On the palate red and dark berries, leather, some chocolate, firm and juicy acidity and slightly drying tannin. Already a pleasure and will probably show more finesse around 2025 and last several years after that. (Now I see that this is my second blind note about this wine this year.)
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Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah Drunk over three days. Clear, deep ruby color. Clean, medium+ intense, youthful-developing nose of a classic Rioja with some nice red fruit, hints of tobacco, smoke, some barn and an astonishing freshness. Medium complex and nice. Bone dry, with a high acidity that gives this wine a beautiful liveliness. I consider it well integrated, but it is borderline. Soft, medium+ tannin and 13% abv. On the palate lots of red fruit (cherries), spices, fine oak and tobacco. Medium finish. Balanced and lively on the palate, still young. 90-91. Good PQR.
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5-way Rioja tasting with 2009 Prado Enea, 2005 Rioja Alta GR, 2007 Ardanza and 2011 Muga Seleccion Especial. To everyone's surprise this wine came last and was deemed to not have as much fruit as the other and even tasted a little thin in comparison. Felt like the youngest but was actually the oldest.
Rhones and More at Jimmy's (Jimmy's Place, Mpls): Medium dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Drank this side by side with the '04 Bosconia Reserva. The Tondonia stood out tonight. Much more expressive and developed on the nose and palate. Very nice aromatic nose of crushed spices, cigar, red raspberry, dill, and a savory roasted meat note. The palate offers a similar mixture, bigger with more depth than the Bosconia, a bit vegetal at times, but I like the pretty red fruits here. This bottle was much more developed than one just 4 months ago.
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Nice to have this side by side with the Bosconia as it was clearly more open for business tonight. The oak felt much more in step with the wine's age and only serving to help the whole. Classic aromas of red fruit, spice, leather and cigar box notes. The palate is a refined and elegant mix of cherry, raspberry, spice, herbs and mineral. This btl had excellent balance and depth and weightless elegance. Drinking great and worth owning some of these.
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This is not one of their best efforts. the Ph seems low and the Acidity too high for a great bottle. Not nearly ready, it shows far better after 24 hours, but the trim body and high acids do it no favors. Please uncork in the morning if you're consuming tonight. If you're contemplating purchases, i'd pass on this one. A bit of a disappointment.
Ruby core showing a reasonable fade at the rim; closed on the nose - some delicate red spectrum fruits coming through. Touch of spice; good balance between the oak on the fruit on the palate. Nice refreshing acidity as well. Good structure and support from the oak, though it does begin to dominate on the finish. I wouldn't hold onto to this any longer.
Needs time - I usually love this wine, whether the Reserva or the Gran Reserva. This bottle looked younger than an '04 and the fruit profile was darker / more primary than I would have expected. 90+/-
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Crimson core with rusty rim; pretty nose, rose petals, slight American oak, spice, herbs, sour cherry and strawberry; vanilla mixed with cherry and strawberries, cranberry, tea, high acid finish, drive, slight burnt orange, cherry pit, tart and taut; people in Nebbiolo and Burgundy, mine; tasty with more time ahead of it.
I absolutely love this wine. Such a great value and just pure delicious. I’ve had a ‘76 Lopez two years ago, and it was a total badass. I have a lot of respect for a wine of this price being so delicious, with a rich ragu spaghetti. Worth every penny. Enjoy now, or drink in many moons. Plus I’m watching The Wizard of Oz, which pairs well with Rioja.
Clearly very young and this is more about the oak today, than what sits behind it. That said, it enjoyable and balanced (but if coconut oak is turn off then wait a good few years) with a silky texture yet not bereft of acidity.
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From 375ml in restaurant. Quite nice. Aromatics have developed and oak notes mostly integrated with the fruit. Fresh and lively on the palate. Very much enjoyed.
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Well developed, but still drinking quite fresh - all the ripe, spicy, leathery goodness you would want. Tondonia: practically synonymous with Rioja, it seems! Known for exceptional aging potential (see Faustino - crazy value on well drinking back vintages), it almost felt like it was a bit of a crime to open this bottle even at 14 years. Fortunately back vintages of Tondonia are relatively easy to come by for decent prices - all the more reason to drink up and enjoy! This bottle was representation to a tee. Red currant, forest berries, red/black cherry, and sweet spice were all immediately notable, along with the typical dose of oak that took a few minutes to even out. Plenty of licorice, wood spice, and tobacco came through, combined with earthiness and touches of brown sugar. Mushroom and leather gave hints at the wine’s age, but not overly so - even on day 3 the wine hadn’t budged too far, showing that it still has plenty of life left in it. A still robust structured furthered that notion. It’s hard not to be constantly impressed by the QPR you can get from Rioja (and Spain in general), particularly when you consider the aging requirements before the bottles are even released. Yes, this may not be a small production, boutique kind of wine, but damn if it isn’t well made and incredibly tasty! Always a buy for me.
Lovely classic rioja Give it an hour or two to open up It probably would benefit from a few more years for the tannins to fully resolve. However, don't let that stop you from enjoying this wine today. A nice steak will offset the tannins just fine.
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My fourth bottle in a year. Still a youngin with classic cherry, oak, orange peel and leather. Still a bit tight one can argue with a firm palate and a short finish. Will go for many years.
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Cherry, leather, tobacco, strawberry, vanilla, orange peel, spices, smoky bourbon/caramel (presumably an oak signature, no alcoholic heat to speak of), raw beef. Super exotic and perfumed, I was caught off guard by how open this is today. Umm yeah I only bought three and those will be gone in no time! Need to stock up.
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Colour: Clear, medium, ruby Nose: Clean, Medium +, primary notes of red fruit (cherry), secondary notes from oak ageing (clove) Palate: dry, high acidity, medium + fine-grained tannin, medium alcohol, medium + flavour intensity, medium + body. Primary flavours of red fruit (cherry, red plum); Secondary notes of vanilla,light notes of coffee; Tertiary notes of wet leaf and savoury. Medium + finish. Very good quality. Can drink now but has potential for further ageing.
Pnp: Very classic, slightly austere notes but I think this will open up.
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Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #025 Rioja (By MN): In the bouquet dark berries and green herbs. On the palate red berries and some dark berries as well, a bit rusty, a lot of acidity and sticky tannin. The most classical wine of the flight and it has elegance as well. Good future; 2030+ probably.
Wood and Christmas spice on the nose. Lots of tannins, medium acidity. Blackcurrant, cherries, some of the aromas from the nose. Elegant, but I found it a bit mute at this stage and the tannins dominate. I think it might be a bit young.
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Bit of a weird experience with this. First tasted at the winery in 2016 on a 95 degree day — hated it but I think it was the weather (tasted outside). Ended up buying some Bosconia which tasted much better.
Accessed two different glasses via Coravin over a 2 week period recently and both were super vanilla/oak heavy to the point where I almost couldn’t tolerate it. Surprising given that I generally think Lopez Heredia is very deft with their oak usage. Time in the glass made it slightly better where I got more of the strawberry/balsamic flavor but didn’t leave me wanting any more than the one glass.
Tonight I decided to just open the remaining bottle and drink out of a Zalto — the difference was astounding. Not sure if the Coravin access “aged” it a bit to let the oak become less prominent but it was extremely pure and true to the other reviews here and professional. Lots of strawberry, balsamic, herbs, woodsmoke — really enjoyable to the point that I didn’t want to put it down.
I own a good amount of Bosconia from this vintage which I still prefer slgihtly but I might seek this out also and start drinking 2-4 years from now — really proof that Lopez Heredia knows what it’s doing in every vintage.
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Second bottle of this consumed. Served at a very cool temperature, decanted, then allowed to rise to a cool room temperature. This pours quite light and transparent, with virtually zero bricking. The nose remains quite mute, wafting hints of strawberry, sage, orange peel, vanilla, and a touch of VA. I actually like the palate quite a lot more than the nose. Very fresh and alive. Bright sweet red fruit, orange peel and moderate tannin. The finish is fairly lengthy.
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First Private Budget Red Quaffer Re-Buy Contest Marathon; 9/1/2017-2/13/2018 (At Home): Observed over 3 out of 4 days with no deterioration to the last sip. Majestic transparent ruby with black shadows. Rim fading only slightly. Legs pretty swift. Nose of strawberry, juniper berry, mushroom soil, leather, reserved coffee powder and nobly discreet vanilla. Palate(and this is the convincing part to me) of a lifted singing red and black forest berry fruit perfectly balanced against the acidity and the drying tannins to produce a single complex “forest floor” taste, bathing in, again, that nobly discreet vanilla. That palate really took off on the last day, so I assume this has a lot of future in it and would be almost a waste to consume now. Clean, straight and clear are keywords, and one needs to be reminded that “complex” has nothing to do with “complicated”. The many has become one. As it is a 92-93, but it should ascend a little further.
On the other hand I get not so much less enjoyment from wines a little cheaper. So to me a wine like this makes sense only if you have a really good cellar to mature it well beyond this.
What a difference from December 2014. Then, awkward and incoherent. Now, putting on the character of a top-end Rioja tinto, broad and deep, mushroom soup and fresh horse, an endless bottom with forever in hand. Bought a case that should have been two. Today (92) looking to (94).
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So different than a bottle tasted in 2016. Secondary characteristics starting to develop. Certainly still young, full of structure and acidity. Great to sip or to pair with food. Delish.
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Smooth and nicely aged. While I frequently have red wines with robust shellfish dishes, this one gave a very unpleasant metallic taste with that combination (but not otherwise) so stick to meats with this wine.
Vanilla and dried berry, well balanced and not overly acidic, red berries sneak through while not initially noticed on the nose. Light on the palate. Noticeable tannins.
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indrukwekkende, ouderwetse complexiteit. er is nog steeds primair fruit, met secundaire toetsen, afgewerkt door tertiaire aroma's. ronduit verbluffende wijn, zij het ietwat ouderwets. zeer lekker!
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Have had a few bottles of this wine. It was recommended to me by k&l staff And also came as part of a heirloom cafe wine club
Overall very happy - classic Rioja style, reasonably balanced with a bit of pepper and medium finish. Not hunting for it for my cellar but would order at a restaurant if I stumbled across it.
Drinking well now could probably also age 5 more years
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Tastes like a prototype of "traditional Rioja." Soft, medium ripe, and moderately extracted with an acidic spine reminiscent of orange zest and balsamic vinegar. Accents of licorice, tobacco, and pencil lead. Long finish of citrus and light tannins. Complex and elegant.
I think it would be pretty easy to pick this out as traditional Rioja in blind tasting. This is due to the distinctive style, not anything intrinsic in tempranillo or Rioja.
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Just entering its drinking window which JG sees stretching out to 2040. Bright, red fruit with tons of acidity. Took a while to flesh out...needed double decanting and probably more time in a decanter to really open up. A touch of sweet oak perhaps. Good structure and zip make this one ready for the long haul, but that is just beginning.....
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Hello, Rioja! Fabulous spice - cinnamon, toasted coconut, cherry, leather and fresh tobacco. Med body, med+ acidity. Color is ruby. Palate leaves a gentle smokiness, lasting finish. Indeed, a great pairing with jamon. This has potential for additional layers down the road.
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Beau nez exuberant de cassis,terre,bois et fougere,en bouche acidité vive,tannins legerement assechants,notes de balsamique,ecorces d oranges,un peu de fruits rougesb finale longue sur l ecorce d orange et balsamique.
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Ribs and Big Reds (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Dark red color. PNP, followed one glass over 3 hours plus. Drank this side by side with an '04 Bosconia Reserva. Both had issues, but he Tondonia was in a bit better place. Tight, cedarbox, a bit of earthiness, cherry, cherry lacquer fruit. On the palate, cherry, cherry lacquer, wood, lots of wood, a sharp, nice dusty tannins though. Seems like the wood takes over with more glass time. Needs several years. Preferred tonight. Score reserved.
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Excellent Rioja in an elegant style. Strong and structured with, for Rioja, fairly smooth tannins. Deep layered berry flavour. The 2004 is still quite young to drink in 2017 and will definitely improve for the next 6 to 10 years.
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From Magnum. Without being as precise as other Tondonia this is still a satisfying glass showing warmth, good balance, vanilla and spices you find in Rioja.
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Decanted for 30 minutes then consumed over 2 hours. Initially it's a little awkward; sour cherries married to fresh tobacco leaf with a lick of vanilla and some hot spice but, with time, the wine softens and balances, the fruit becomes riper and the texture more creamy. A puppy. I really should stop opening these.
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I had high hopes for this one but ended up somewhat disappointed. When first opened, I thought the wine was too fruit forward with a little too much sugar. I also got flavors of leather and raisins. The color had a brown tint to it, as you can expect from its age. I can see that it has ageing potential left which may mellow out the fruit a bit ... just not sure it’s going to be exceptional. I also thought that the wine didn’t have enough body ... it was too light. In short: meh.
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Popped and poured. Clearly needs time and air to pull together. Right now it has quite a dill component, especially in the nose. I’m betting this is awesome by tomorrow night, when I will complete this note. 24 hours later, the dill has largely disappeared, but the wine is only good rather than great. Has good grip and a gritty texture, earthy, leathery nose, and a similar palate, on the rustic side. This is fully mature, but not past prime in my opinion. Color is a rich dark ruby, with a rusty rim, and that that is probably its best feature, appearance. But not all wines can be great. 5-10-15-7: 87/100.
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Encore d'un beau rouge cerise. Quelques notes tertiaires de prune au nez. La bouche est pourtant encore vive, sur la cerise rouge. Le bois et les tanins sont bien intégrés. Délicieux, et cette bouteille m'a semblé prête à boire.
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Probably too young, although this is from a 0,375 bottle and is 2 days opened. It has everything but gravitas of age. Sure it will get better, but I wonder if I will buy more. Generic somehow...
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My third bottle this year and exactly the same as previous. Tart and lean cherry, notes of citrus peel, spice and some oak. Again as classic as it comes. Will certainly improve with age yet still delicious today with some air. As always a great qpr at $35.
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Classic LdH nose of cherries, clove, earth, and mild oak. Palate is open-knit with tobacco and crunchy fruits, but it's also a bit oaky and could use a touch more mid-palate oomph. Still, it's lovely and balanced and has much of what I love about LdH. This will improve.
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Classic Rioja! Medium body. Some bricking. Cassis, dark cherry, leather, and cedar on the palette. Restrained fruit, but nicely balanced with a firm acidity and medium tannins. This still has a lot of life left in it. Probably has a good 10 years to go. Great value. If Bordeaux, it would cost twice as much.
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Expressive nose- cherry and floral notes with anise, vanilla, toast, and cedar spice all intermingled. Immediate impressed by the balance of fruit and earth- black cherries, tart black currants, red plums, tomato paste, tobacco, with hints of black tea and an iron-metallic note. Darker profile than the 2003 but still bright with a rustic edge that smooths out across the palate as the tannins kick in. Acidity and tannins play their part perfectly and the oak adds complexity rather than detract. Wish list includes a bit more intensity but a top tier effort (A, 93) and a steal at the JJB price of $29.99 (A+, 99), for an overall evaluation of A (95).
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We drank this wine the evening before and left some for the next day to re-taste. After 24 hours we experienced the following: The nose has sweet tobacco, raspberry jam, blood orange, allspice black pepper and young leather. On the palate, we were struck by the high acidity, medium tannins, and flavors of elderberry, blackberries, cherries and orange rind. It has a long finish with tobacco, rubber and black pepper. The same evening that we drank this 2004 our friends shared a 1981 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia with us. By comparison, the 2004 was clearly too young and will benefit from another 10+ years in the bottle. The 1981 still had lots of fruit, it was so round and smooth and the flavors were all nicely integrated.
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When I removed the foil, the cork was wet on one side. I was disappointed by this bottle after having enjoyed many other vintages of Tondonia. Brownish brick color and aromas of dried red and black fruits. Very dusty on the palate, plenty of earth, tobacco, some dill, and deep stewed and dried fruits. Much older vintages have shown more freshness, so I'm hopeful that the other bottle in my cellar is more typical, that the wet cork was an indication that oxidation was the culprit.
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Decanted 3 hrs. While I think the food and wine pairing aspect of this cash draining hobby gets over played, this was a terrific exhibit of how the two can work in unison, elevating each other to a much higher plane. A home made SW steak salad on the dinner plate brought out a whole new demension of flavor on the palate, that unique cherry / tobacco / spice spectrum that only old school Tempranillo wine can carry. Very spry acidity keeps this so fresh. God I love these R. Lopez wines!
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The nose offers blackberries, orange peel, herbs, smoke and hints of vanilla. Palate reflects the nose and is added by typical Tondonia freshness and elegance. This wine doesn't make you tired. Has all elements for further development and gaining even more complexity.
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Gave it double decant to open it up a little Absolutely delicious tobacco and leather lots of bruised strawberry fruit Slightly acetic edge Showing really well now though will last for ever
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Still somewhat primary. Love the house style, fresh and distinguished at the same time. Cigar box, red cherry, spring flower and balsam. Not profound, but great QPR at $30.
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From a half bottle. 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo 10%. 13% ABV.
Garnet translucent core, a tinge of brick towards the rim. Seductive red berries, spice, a fine hint of vanilla that melds beautifully and does not protrude; medium bodied and elegant with a consistent raspberry acidity from the outset, a touch of grip on the midpalate.
After a couple of hours, some dark berries and smoke notes emerge on the nose, and the wine has a bit more presence in the mouth, some graphite, dried herbs and liqueur cherry in addition to sour cherry acidity, fine-boned lingering tannins. Recommended to open this a couple of hours ahead of time. Wonderful, multifaceted wine.
Traditional style Rioja, quite a nice nose, fresh red cherries, redcurrants, plums, nicely integrated oak, sandalwood, leather, iron. Palate feels a little bit tired and thin for a good vintage like '04, dried red fruit, not very broad, meaty, lovely oak, spicy, good length. Expected more from a Rioja like this, is it time or just the way this wine is made...
Complex evolving nose of wild strawberries, tobacco, rose petals, and sunbaked heath. Ethereal sweet fruit on the palate, dry with a memory of richness, firm integrated tannins moving into a graceful acid finish. A graceful aged wine, would be excellent with cheese on toast. 50 + 17 + 16 + 9 = 92.
Mature but still quite young. No noticeable oak on the nose, but it comes across nicely on the palate. Thick and dark but still has great acidity and lift.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $60+ (Alpharetta, GA): See through crimson with light orange rim; sweet almost confected cherry, some oak polish, roses; sweet on palate, fleshy, liqueur cherry, easy tannin, sour cherry, very red fruit, tasty; everyone on elegant Italian (Sangiovese); oak never made sense but well done, delicious.
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2004 R. LOPEZ de HEREDIA VINA TONDONIA RESERVA RIOJA- this was an outstanding bottle giving up wonderful vanilla, spicy dried red fruit along with a medium to full body and a soft, tantalising texture which was silky smooth and so easy on the palate; this gave it an element of elegance, yet the wine possessed some thrust with firm tannins; as history would suggest, this will evolve toward maturity for many years to come; nicely balanced, it is a blend of Tempranillo, Grenacha, Graciano and Mazuela.
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Klassinen rioja, kirsikkaa, tupakkaa, viikunaa ja tummaa suklaatakin. Todella hapokas ja ryhdikkään tanniininen, mutta muutaman tunnin pullodekantointi pehmentää hyvin. Aluksi maistui turpeelta ja vähän säikähdin onkohan viini kunnossa, mutta vaatii tosiaan n. 30 min jotta turpeen haju väistyy. Nuori ja sietää edelleen kypsytystä, mutta tosi hauska juotava jo nyt. Hinta kohtuullinen 25-30 e.
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Classic Rioja nose with strong tobacco notes. Opens a bit acid, but settles down. Very interesting and compelling. Compared to the 2003 it’s richer and stronger, but still a bit young. Great length and balance. Held up well on the counter for a day. Another bottle 2/19/18: Decanted an hour or so. No excess acidity this time. Really nice wine, sat two days on the counter with very little change. I really like this! 4/2/18: From a 375 this time PnP. Consistent, and very nice. 11/1/18: Another 375. Just gorgeous! Light, elegant and powerful. Two stars plus. 12/19/18: Another 375, consistent. This is good stuff! 2/22/19: Full bottle this time. This is just singing! Opened for about 30 min; the aroma filled the room. Lightness, elegance, and power. Just love it. 3/3/19: Another 375. Just as good. 4/15/20: A 375. This one was good, but slightly too acid. 5/18/10 Another 375. Very good this time. Held on counter with a Repour, no change. 4/7/21: Took a few minutes to open up, but then very nice, if slightly too acid. 12/28/21: Another 375. Very nice this time, fully mature. 2/4/22: A 750. On the too acid side, unfortunately. Good, but not what it could be. This wine has lots of bottle variation, it seems.
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Ruby color. Smells like bing cherry, tart red fruits, tobacco, concrete, hay. Medium body that builds with air. Flavors of cranberry, cherry, orange zest, and a dry wood, almost mesquite-like flavor. The tannin is still notable here, but it lends the wine a classic character.
Agreed that this wine could cellar for another 5+ years. But it's a lot of fun to drink now--just decant for at least an hour.
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Dark brick red and mostly opaque through the core. Decanted Slightly shy on the nose with moderate intensity. Aromas detected show dried cranberry, dried cherry and plum aromas that weave neatly into scents of leather, dried rose petal, tea, and tobacco with notes of earth and sous bois that show hints of black pepper and inter tube. The palate is moderate and showing nice acid structure, though at this point restrained in its fruit profile. Dried cherries and cranberries incorporate notes of plum skin and blood orange, leather, tobacco and forrest floor with traces of coffee, pepper and tea. The finish lingers with smooth tannins.
75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. 6 years in American oak barrel; 5 in bottle.
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From magnum no fading at the rim, no browning. Delicious cherry/dark cherry and a little dustiness, silky on the palate balanced acid and sufficient tannin. A delicious bottle.
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Medium to dark red with thin mahogany rim. Cherry, airy, black fruit liqueur nose. Initially rich cherry fruit that fades to a woody, slightly dry finish. Light body, classic Rioja.
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Family trip to Rioja - June 2017; 6/20/2017-6/26/2017 (Rioja): Tawny rim. Cream of Tomato soup aromas, leather. Creamy mouthfeel. Very savory and a lovely acidic spine. Can surely last longer but the basic elements are well integrated. Delicious and glorious drinkability right now.
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Very good vintage of a very good wine. Graceful ageing going on, visibly and on the nose. Notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Figs and damson jam. Instant hit of a bright, assertive acidity on the tongue. Still tightly held together by firm tannins, but at its heart a velvety, fruity mid-palate leading to a splendidly spicy, clove and black crushed pepper finish. Very good indeed. Such a classic wine. Also chocolate and figs.
Shy nose of wild aromatic strawberries, tobacco, and undergrowth. Penetrating clear red fruit on the palate with strong but integrated tannins and woven filigree of acid. A wine where every element is different with its own special character, yet everything fits together in jumbled harmonious way. Sort of like tapas. 50 + 16 + 16 + 8 = 90.
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Medium garnet color turning orange rust at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose gives off perfumed orange peel on red and black fruits with leather and smoke. The palate is medium bodied with a silky texture (albeit there are still some tannins to resolve). Flavors of iron filings, tobacco, scorched earth, meat, red cherry and licorice. Still youthful at this stage with vibrant acidity. Finishes long and lifted with hints of orange zest. Drink now with a 2-hr decant or better from 2019 to 2034
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Dusky ruby. Shy aroma of dry wood with a hint of blackberry. Intense intertwining of vibrant acid, puckering tannins and sinewy fruit on the palate. Expecting this would be wonderful with serrano ham and salty olives. 50 + 15 + 16 + 8 = 89.
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Classic Rioja with floral tinged red fruit and gorgeous cured tobacco. Fragrant, yet quite tightly wound. This needs hours and hours in the decanter to open things up and let the acidity calm down; it becomes soft and supple when it does. Lovely.
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Very surprised by the looks of this wine as it seems to be aging quickly based on the color. Washed out Crimson color and brick around the edges. Light cherry and Woody note. Very typical of classic Rioja style. Good.
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750ml; PnP; Transparent medium garnet with obvious bricking and light-medium weight. Aromas of cherry, strawberry, baking spices, barnyard hints. Huge tart cherry flavors with cinnamon spice, red dirt and leather with good acidity. Good lengthy finish. This is crazy good for $40! I bought the 3 bottles on the shelf and will go back next week looking for more!
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Showing some definite age at the rim; rich fruit and spicy leather notes on the nose. A strong oak element here. Pretty classic Rioja on the nose; a touch of old wood on the front palate - strong clove and oak flavours. some distinctive quality fruit coming through also. One for the fans - not bad. Good length.
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Carmine red color with touches of brick at the edge. On the nose: cedar, graphite and leather. On the palate it is quite smooth with a touch of grainy tannins and some chocolate notes. Pretty classic, smooth old Rioja style profile; for my taste almost too smooth and easy.. Not very complex. Normally I am looking for more "nooks and crannies" in a wine.
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Lovely, intense and sharp aromas of red berries, mushrooms and old barrels. Intense, tart and smooth in the mouth. Fine tannins, concentrated and persistent. Appears as a cooler wine than the 2001.
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I write this note at the second day of drinking this Rioja. Half bottle remained vacuumed one day in my cellar and the second day was much nicer than the first drink. It presented all aromas and palate notes, some of which were not present the first day. Meaning that it needs much more than 30 minutes decanting, which I did the first day. It is a very smooth and balanced wine. Litle lighter than expected with medium body and not very strong wood and earthy notes expected from a 2004 Reserva. But is very easy drinkable and goes with not heavy meals. Will buy again
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Röd-rödbruntonig färg med lätt sherryton i kanterna. Doftar initialt lada och torkat gräs men fyller på med körsbär, mossa och vår skog. Smaken ger körsbär, sherry, lite lakritstuggummi, rostad fänkål, och lite smak från övermogna Ingridmarie-äpplen mot slutet. Riojatypisk, lite tunn kanske - men såg också att den öppnade upp sig ordentligt framåt natten. Den bör bli än bättre av mer tid i källare, men jag tror att tio år kan vara väl optimistiskt - åtminstone om flaskan jag öppnade är representativ.
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Drank over 4 nights - held up well. This wine is too young in my opinion - Good bottle of wine but not overly complex at this stage in it's development. Dark cherry, black cherry, cranberry on nose & palate with high acidity, medium body and medium+ finish. 90+ today but will improve with bottle age.
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A fairly elegant wine at this early stage, but relatively unimpressive for the vintage. Notes of cedar, leather and muted spice, medium weight, a touch savory. Well integrated oak, but flavors should be more pronounced with additional bottle age.
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This was decanted for about 5 hours but was still a bit closed and unformed like the Bosconia 2004. It had classic aromas of leather, earth, blackberries, vanilla, raspberries and figs. Its medium bodied and austere black fruits palate has nice acidity, but isnt as delineated as the Ardanza which I tasted side by side with this. Ends longish and nicely tannic. Lay down 3-5 years and try again.
Pop-n-pour, quick note on the first glass. Classic Rioja aromas- oak spices, black pepper, blackcurrant, cherries, and hints of tomato leaf. Sour cherries and tart blackberries on the palate followed by earthy tobacco finish from the age and tannin. Nice mineral structure. Always a favorite.
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Needs air. Starts off slightly high on acidity but ends up smooth. Slight metallic tinge on the mid palate. Tannins are still evident and a touch drying but I suspect will round nicely. Not sensational, but it's moreish and I like it.
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Similar to my last bottle. Classic aromas of spice box, tart cherry, touches of oak, and orange peel. Palate is lean and well structured with good acid. Classic tart red cherry, toasted oak, orange peel and pith. Well made. Still youthful.
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A private lunch (Restaurant Breda, Amsterdam, NL): Classical style, leathery and spicy, cedar, cool and mineral, slender and elegant in style, medium weight, fresh, complex fruit (red berries, hint of plum), perfectly integrated oak, savoury touch, good intensity and length. It is a solid Rioja, but for some reason I was expecting more from this wine in a great vintage like 2004.
Tasted blind. Ruby and quite pale, aromas were muted although the wine was served on the cool side. With a bit of agitation there was black cherry fruit and then savoury smells of olives, balsamic and tapenade. The black cherry fruit on the palate is actually pretty generous with lots of acidity to balance it out but the tannins are pretty drying and astringent. A lot of power and grip but this wine needs time, it's not melded together yet.
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Oak Comparison (Home (Noe st)): Medium minus garnet. Sweet dried and stewed fruit - black cherry, red cherry. Tamari-soy notes of age. A prickle of possible VA (balsamic).
The oak presents as a sort of higher-toned sweetness, with a prickle of dill pickle chips. On the palate - dry - medium body - medium alcohol - high acid (zippier than the '05 M. de Riscal GR) - medium tannins - rounded with age Oak presents as a higher-toned sweetness, vanilla, slightly green/woody (dill).
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I haven't had Tondonia before, but this definitely has prompted me to seek out more Lopez de Heredia and other old school Riojas like it. Wonderfully complex nose of dill, sour cherries, tar, clove, and leather. A slightly balsamic whiff adds more rustic charm. Vibrant, persistent acidity and long finish. The freshness of this wine has me clamoring for another glass. Obviously still has ways to go before fully maturing, and the drying tannins will likely loosen up over time.
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A blend of Tempranillo (75%), Garnacha (15%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%). Fermented spontaneously in old oak fermenters, aged in old American oak barriques for 6 years, bottled unfiltered and then aged for further 50 months in bottle. This wine could be easily labeled as Gran Reserva, but R. L. de Heredia chooses not to, because the wines labeled as Gran Reservas are aged even longer. 13% alcohol. Total production 260,000 bottles.
Deep and very slightly translucent black cherry color. Rich, ripe and dark-toned nose, that is still more savory than sweet despite all its obvious ripeness. There are brooding aromas of black cherries, brambly dark berries, some earthy mushroomy character, a little bit of pruney fruit, a hint of old leather jacket and a touch of sweet wood and vanilla-driven spice. The wine is quite ripe and moderately full-bodied on the palate with rather concentrated and dense feel, giving the wine rather imposing, chewy texture. The difference to the lighter and brighter Bosconia Reserva 2004 is quite noticeable here. However, just like the nose, the taste department feels really savory despite the sweetness with lively, dry flavors of fresh blackcurrants and crowberries, sour cherry bitterness, some juicy plummy fruit, a little bit of pipe tobacco, a hint of autumnal earthy character and a subtle hint of of vanilla oak. The mouthfeel is pretty smooth due to the long, slightly oxidative aging, but the structure still remains very tightly-knit and impressively stern with high acidity and quite ample tannins, that however feel more ripe and manicured than angular and aggressive. The finish is rich, juicy and complex with long sweet'n'sour flavors of ripe plummy fruit, sour cherries, some tart cranberries, a little bit of sweet pruney character, a little bit of vanilla oak and a hint of smoky earthiness.
A very wonderful and pretty stern vintage of Tondonia Reserva that shows some obvious sense of ripeness, yet it doesn't really express itself as sweetness of fruit, but instead as a sense of concentration, intensity and breadth of fruit. In this sense this wine is pretty similar to Bosconia Reserva 2004, which was similarly ripe, yet dry, acid-driven and pretty tightly-knit. The biggest difference seems to be in that this wine is even more muscular and although impressive, also a bit dumb and understated. Even a few hours of decanting wasn't enough to unwind the wine fully, but that is not to say this is an underwhelming vintage - on the contrary, this feels more like a vintage that needs another 10 years to show its best. Bosconia Reserva 2004 felt like a long-lived vintage and this does even more so. A spectacular and pretty dead-serious old-school Rioja (Gran) Reserva that is spectacular now and will definitely get only better during the next decade or two. Stunning value at only 22€.
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At a testing. Garnet colour, aromas of vanilla, tobacco, cherries and blueberries on the nose. On the palate is still lively, tannic and with nice acidity.Well refined, very nice.
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Solid. Nose was closed upon opening but had more caramel and BlackBerry notes as the night went on. Palate was rather tannic and needed a lot more time to open up but it did so on dark cherry, some vanilla and herb notes. 92 for now. Revisit in 5 years from now.
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Coiled and dense. Color is a deep, full garnet. Nose is savory with a little yeast/marmite overtones which largely blow off. Lots of acid and bright cherries along with leather on the palate. Very fine tannins. This thing is packed with material waiting to unfold. Excellent now but only the merest hint of what this wine will be in the future. Drink or hold, but if you drink, remember you'll enjoy yourself now but kick yourself in the future.
black and red fruit, primarily sour cherry and citrus pith. spicy profile, with sweet spice, as well as both black and white pepper. med(+) finish. really solid.
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Bart's bottle. Ah, now THIS is what I want from Rioja. Just med body, complex spice cake, dried orange peel, dried cherries, well-balanced and complete.
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Does not get any more classic then this. Pure tart cherry, hints of leather, earth, tea leaf, black fruit, rose and tar. Palate is tart and lean, with immediate orange peel, bitter pith, gravel and dry earth coming through along with cherry fruit as expected. Well made but not as complex as Cune Imperial wines.
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Nice spice on the nose. A lighter side of rioja, tannins take sideline to cherries. Some spice, not fruity. Easy to drink this on pnp. It will probably just get calmer without significant improvement on aging. They have at least ten years of aging capability. Went back for three more.
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Had a glass from an open bottle at the hotel bar on a very quiet Monday evening, so I suspect the wine had seen plenty of air. The very first whiff on the nose seemed a touch oxidative but this dissipated quickly. Great showing then with a very round palate and fine notes of aceto balsamico and earth matching the smooth red and dark. Nice finish.
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Still quite young, but lovely classic Rioja. Bing cherry, red currant, dried dill, hints of vanilla, violet, hints of earth, smoke, and orange peel. Initially tight and a touch tart, but with air it improves significantly after about an hour and a half. The palate develops more depth and concentration, but still has tight tannins and taut acidity. I think another 3-5 years will be good for this in bottle, but it is enjoyable now with dinner and decanting.
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Charcuterie lunch with Tim (Home (Noe st)): Lean, not very aromatic - hints of faded red fruit. Medium bodied, and a bit austere on the palate, with elevated tannins, a bit harsh, and high acidity. Medium alcohol. The oak isn't very prominent on the palate, which is a bit strange considering how much time it spends in (used) American oak.
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Bottle #2, some of the other comments have mentioned the leather and tobacco flavours that definitely come across. It has good tannin and acidity, the tannins are a bit grippy to begin but the acidity kicks in and there is a sweetness on the finish that leaves you wanting the next sip. Very enjoyable.
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Spicy, dark fruits and dusty attic on the nose (a bit reticent). Acidity is front and center and the profile grows to a darker blackberry and orange zest finish of a generally mid bodied wine. Carries on for a long time. Second night was consistent with no signs of prune or sherry notes.
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Surprisingly enjoyable Rioja, given the mixed tasting notes. Decanted one hour and consumed over the following three. Good color - dark ruby, garnet at the edge. Fairly closed nose of alcohol and cherry fruits, with a dark fruit and leather undertone. Medium bodied. Complex, evolving red fruit flavors, along with tobacco and leather held our interest. The headline news for us - there's enough richness, even a little sweetness, clear through to the finish to balance the undeniable acidity and tannic grip, especially with food. Still an infant, and not a blockbuster. But the balance and stuffing of this wine bode well for it becoming a classic Rioja from a good year.
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Tinto is tinting something referring back to when they tinted the white wines with red because once upon a time whites were more popular.
Very expressive on the nose. And this is why the reds always have a little white. Tastes like a really amazing cheddar cheese.
Grapes coming from the round vineyard. Always a blend because of the Bordeaux influence. Never decant, never open ahead I am being told. Just rock it out. And no sediment. Racked twice per year. Four years in barrel and then the rest in bottle.
The wire cage is cork wire and wax.
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Decanted for 2 hours before drinking, not much on the nose, very faint red berry but not much of anything else. Upon tasting it was very much the same, not much forthcoming on the pallet, mostly get leather, as the wine started to heat up a bit the was some blackcurrent starting to come through but overall quite a disapointing bottle, very closed with not much to give, will try again in 5 years or so.
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Encore assez jeune finalement, toujours du fruit au nez, assez pur avec des fruits rouges, bouche aux tanins patinés et surtout avec une belle acidité en fin de bouche, très bon
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Had this right after a 45euro st. emiliion, and it was almost siruppy in comparison. The Last tondonia I had was 2001 reserva and this one is the most siruppy tondonia I ever had. very surprising. Here in madrid you can walk in to a supermarket and buy this. It is very hard to find normally. tondonia is one of my favourite wine series, after I tried 1984 grand reserva back in 2000. tondonia is normally a pretty light, ethereal , acidic, yet alluring adventure. This is powerful and spicy, a fat sensation in the mouth.
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At Olympia Provisions in Portland. Good red fruit and cherry, maybe with some plum or even prune. Leather too. Pretty acidic for an aged wine. Will keep getting better.
Lovely nose, lots of red fruit, some spice. It really wasn't giving up much on the palate on this night though. I think it needs some more time to come together. Revisit in 3+. Feels like it has all the right ingredients to come together and make a lovely wine. Time will telll
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Lovely nose of dark cherry fruit and fabulous red spices. Succulent and quite ripe with intense dark cherry fruit flavors with hints of sweet vanilla oak and meaty spices. Has a lithe texture with fresh mineral lift and lots of good acidity. This is lovely and drinking well now but could clearly improve with more time in bottle. Double-decanted for 2 hrs.
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Classic Rioja with a complex nose of red berry fruit, vanilla, leather, dill, and spice. Palate is young and a touch disjointed but has lots of potential. Nice wine but needs 5-10 years to fully develop.
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Love this old school wines and was nice to have in a little Spanish tasting. Musk, spicy cured wood, fresh and muddy earth, red fruits, tea, some tannins and good acids.
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Yet another varying bottle, this one at a restaurant. Completely dried out yet not corekd. Plenty of black/cherry color and leather, smoke and a hint of cherry but scant fruit. I would watch these.
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Another encounter with this legendary producer with excellent QPR. Dark crimson red. Elegant nose with cherries, plums, toffees, raspberry/licorice candy, hints of oak and vanilla but far from the usual stuff from Rioja. Slim and elegant mouthfeel, beautiful silky texture, smooth tannins. Lively fruit, still a youngster, no dusty or tired feeling. Develops in the glas, with new layers and aromas. What a masterpiece this is in the price range. Lovely. Drink now our keep in cellar for many years to come. 92p
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Gorgeous. Enjoyed as a popnpour. THis is the first of this producer and was a great place to start for me Light in the glass needed about 30 minutes of air for funk to blow off and a rich woods and cherry nose to come. Palate matched the nose and the finish was clean with moderate length - no rough edges. I found it deeply satisfying and it slipped away quickly with our dinner. 5+12+17+7
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Not my favorite Tondonia, lacked complexity, aroma was wonderful, from the nose I would have said this was a 96 point wine but it completely falls apart in the palate; it feels watery and the fruit isn't integrated; not my favorite.
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This wine really is not as good as expected from my previous bottles from other vintages. It took sometime for the notes to appear on the nose and seemed average when tasted. However, it is still was drinkable and has pretty good length. But not as good as expected. Did go well with a Manchego cheese sampler I had of cheeses aged 3, 6 and 9 months.
A restaurant buy. Decent nose after opening (no TCA) but, when poured, the wine had limited fruit and any positive qualities were negated by (dare I say it?) vinegar on the mid/late palate. Four of us looked askance at one another without prompting and the Sommelier sampled the wine and removed it without hesitation. I had looked forward to this and was deeply disappointed. I cannot believe this wine was simply too young at 12 yo. It was going nowhere.....
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Ruby red. Decanted for 30 mins. Still very primary red cherry fruit, with rough tannins. I'd say hold for a few more years for sure. Overall primary juicy fruit.
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Had this wine off the list at GT Prime (which also had its issues). The wine was very closed with none of the expressiveness I have come to expect from LdH and from Rioja in general. None of that wonderful funk, leather and light fruit. I really had to stick my nose in the glass to get anything and this wine was decanted. Upon tasting I got a bit of leather and strawberry and not much else except acid. I found this wine unbalanced. That being said, it wasn't undrinkable and with food it was fine. Perhaps good in ten years - but likely not much. A 5 N 6 B 6 T 15 F 3
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Dark ruby color and fragrant. Plenty of ripe red and dark fruits, slightly oaky, fairly smooth, with some remaining structure. Still a bit primary, with room to further develop, but overall quite good.
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It pains me to write this note, and to be fair, an 87 is still a very good score. I've been a fan of Lopez Heredia for a long long time. That said, this wine really fails to deliver anything great from what should be one of the best vintages in recent memory. Contrary to what others have mentioned on this wine, I don't see a lot of upside inside these bottles that time will do anything for. The wine has a pleasing appearance and a fair nose of sour cherry with some oak vanilla. Less expressive nose than I'm accustomed to with Tondonia and a lot less of the funk. The first sip is largely devoid of fruit and the rest of the taste progression doesn't uncover much either. Sour. Weight tends towards very watery and the wine has a jolting taste of chemical or almost like some flaws I've seen from fermentations that have gone too hot. No idea if that actually happened here but when I compare this Tondonia to the other Riojas I've had from 2004 , it makes me sad. I daresay I might not see much difference between this vintage and the 2002. However, it is still pleasing, has pretty good length, flavors of leather, burnt earth and tree bark are all things I can get on board with. This is still a better than average wine. I should add, I'm writing this note after having tried two bottles, two weeks apart and tasting one across 2 fulls days of breathing and the other across 3 days of air.
Opened and decanted for prob 30-45 minutes before pouring. It's still a complete baby, but an interesting wine. Get a fair amount of oak in this. Red fruits. A hint maybe of leather. I think could be very interesting in 20 years, although with some air it was starting to open more and it was certainly more approachable now than I'd have expected.
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(BBR Spain Tasting) :: Very expressive perfume, showing lots of clove, red cherry and balsam. Big acidity; fresh and rounded mouthfeel, offering notes of orange peel. Very fine tannins and a med/long finish. Hold.
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Interesting aromas of cooked meat, earth, graphite, still young tannic & acidic but tasty, lovely with food, this will be very good in few years time 92+
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Really has the stuffing to be great; quite good now. Classic slightly oxidative red fruit, earth, dill, and dried spices on the nose. Palate is very fresh with great acid. Still very primary. Great purity of fruit.
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Tasted after 2004 Bosconia Reserva. Open, expressive, floral, spices, smoke, tobacco. Good fruit on the palate with a nice tannic grip. Ripe fruit, good acidity and length. Delicious. 91-93
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This is a medium bodied wine with a lot of complexity. On the nose, you get hints of dark berries, pencil lead, tobacco and old leather. It is very balanced and is a wine that demands to be drank with food. We paired this with a roasted rack of lamb along with a side dish of wild mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, butter and garlic. The richness of the lamb and earthiness of the wild mushrooms were a fantastic match.
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We decanted the wine for one hour and followed its development over a period of another two hours. The wine was medium to dark ruby in colour, turning garnet at the edges. It was pretty closed and only started to open up slowly after two hours in the decanter, revealing cherry, spices, cinnamon and some clove, with high acidity and incredible length. The medium-bodied wine was smooth, balanced and elegant and had good concentration, but was pretty closed and thus did not show much complexity. More serious than the 2002 and 2003, and potentially also longer-lived. Hold. 91 for now, with potential to improve.
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López de Heredia - Viña Tondonia Tasting Event (Bodega Santa Cecilia - Madrid): New kid on the blockbusters. very pale crimson hues. Pretty closed and slightly artificial on the nose. Notes of licorice and roasted appear but predominates in pharmaceutical hint. Also black currants with mint. Acidity big shot and watery texture of a classical Tondonia. Its time will come.
Nuevo chica en la oficina. Color carmesí con ribetes muy pálidos. Bastante cerrado y un poquito artificial en nariz. Aparecen notas de regaliz y torrefactos pero predomina en deje farmacéutico. También grosellas negras con menta. Acidez disparada y la clásica textura acuosa de Tondonia. Su hora llegará.
Day 5 and holding on very strong. Was in and out of the fridge during that time...black cherry, hot brick palate. Stoney and mineral more than herb. Not really any herb today. Med tannin. Med/+ acid. BUY BUY BUY.
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Clear medium garnet core and paler rim, developing
Nose is clean with medium+ intense aromas of oak, vanilla/cocos, blackberry, cherry, banana, developing
Palate is dry with medium+ acidity, medium ripe tannins, medium+ alcohol, body and flavour intensity with aromas of blackberries, vanilla, oak, cocos, banana, white pepper and hint of tobacco and dry aged meat. Long finish
Well balanced, concentrated and rather intense, not to complex. Finish is long and this is a classic traditional rioja style. Keep. Very good quality, 90p
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Dense and powerful now, but the fruit, oak, and acidity are in such great balance that the wine drinks very well now; aged a few more years, this will be a wine that can compete with others at twice the price
Double decanted. Vanilla & coconut, sweet spice, Russian caravan tea, ripe red berries and cherries, a touch of sour sharpness, chalky tannins and a fair whack of alcohol heat. Actually, I'm doing this wine a disservice: This is exceedingly rich, dense and generously proportioned and, despite 12 years, still very young.
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Definitely needs plenty of decanter time if you want to drink now, but you will be very well rewarded for the wait.
Not a sweet fruit driven modern styled number, this Tondonia is a superb, old school tradional Rioja. The nose is concentrated oak and vanilla, with dry forest fruits and that typical Rioja tanin/balsamic backbone with a satisfying but morish finish.
A distinguished elegant gentleman of a wine that, while already fantastic, is probably still too young to be at its peak. Could be sensational 95point plus in 5 years
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Much the younger looking and smelling of the two wines, this needed a good couple of hours in the decanter to open up. Purple to ruby, with an at first reticent nose, developing vanilla and old red berries.
As noted before, quite tannic, for Rioja and a quite drying finish.
It's already a good wine, but it's definitely got a great future. My drinking partner and I agreed that they were two different wines, the Ardanza is the more ostentatious, easier if you will, of the two but that they both are equally enjoyable in their own way.
Proper Rioja! Notes of liquorice, blackcurrant, dark chocolate. Really good - a little sharp in the mouth but maybe this will smooth out as it breathes.
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Pretty tight on initial pour. Drank half (went well with paella), and it opened up over the cause of a couple of hours. Re-corked, put it in the fridge and forgot it was there. Opened four days later, and found this had really hit its sweet spot. Drink now with plenty of air or hold for 5-10 years.
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Savoury, somewhat austere Rioja - that said it's pleasantly restrained in term of cosmetic vanilla oak. I suspect there is a fair amount of old oak here, but it's clean.
For such a great vintage it's a pity there isn't more exciting fruit though.
On the finish there is a touch of VA, but this does tone down with some breathing.
I swear there is bottle variation, though it isn't extreme.
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Rioja Flight (SF Wine Trading Company): Light ruby, tawny rim. Gorgeous scents of citrus peel and clove. Light to medium weight, just lovely sense of a complete, elegant package. Already complex with background vanilla, leather, tobacco, and a citric twist, gentle tannin. Beautifully balanced, and I bet this will wind up as ethereal and mesmerizing as its predecessors such as the 1981 Bosconia. While I usually prefer that cuvée, based upon my experience with the 2004 Bosconia, I clearly prefer this. Wonderful now and most probably over the next 10 to 12 years anyway, but the staying power of Lopez de Heredia wines often surprises me. My wine of the tasting.
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After such a lengthy spell in barrel I anticipated a lighter colour and some bricking, but this is still a deep crimson-to-purple.
Fantastic, concentrated nose of oaky vanilla, with forest fruits and that signature Rioja VA/balsamic tone.
Still very young, and still needs time. More tannic grip than you'd usually associate with Rioja, it has a slighly austere, mid-weight claret feel to it, and a quite drying finish.
For maximum enjoyment I'd suggest giving it a good decant, or better still giving it time, and the opportunity to reveal it's secrets.
Another fantastic 2004 Rioja. Fill yer boots whilst you can still find them.
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Supple and refined. This is a beautifully craft wine. Recommend to decant for an hour or 2 first as it got better and better over the evening. The fruits are soft but delicious and it has a Majestic balance between the tannins and the acidity. Highly recommended.
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Red cherry aromas. Savory, smoke, herb accents. Very good, med/+ acid, floral on the palate too. Med tannin. This is a very good vintage of this wine, more to age with this structure, but drinks great now.
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This 2004 is the current release from the winery so I can't understand how there are a few reviews on Cellartracker for younger vintages.
I think this Bodaga is on the rise, having cleaned up some of their winemaking practices.
This is good Rioja. Oddly my opinion has wavered across several bottles. First time it seemed surprisingly tight/young for a 12 year old wine. Other bottles less so. I can't decide if this is extraordinary good value, or just good value. I will try again.
Had this in a restaurant in San Sebastian Spain with lamb chops. Big fruit and smooth tannins. Black cherry and earth with a hint of spice. Not much nose. Drinking surprisingly well at the stage but likely will improve in complexity with age.
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Classic, old-school Rioja. Dusty cherry and a strong hit of burnt cinnamon on the nose. Rustic, tannic, and edgy. Bright red cherries in the mouth with plenty of earth. Nice match with salmorejo and roasted chicken with pimenton.
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Potente, complejo. Se presenta con un núcleo de especiados (clavo, pimienta negra, laurel) que se confunden camelos de cola, e incluso algún apunte asilvestrado de maceración, hollejos, carcascarillas de naranja... Viene apretado, "asalvajado", sin abrirse. Muy puro. De una juventud insultante!!!
Concentrado, vivo, sápido, lleno, de enorme finura y personalidad. Es el vino que por calidad se debería elaborar en la Rioja alta: fresco, fino, acendrado, con una acidez marcada y una materia prima excelente. Juega en otra liga!! La trama es compacta y nos deja la impresión de estar ante un grandísimo vino. Aún se espinan un poco los taninos y falta por corregir algún exceso pero todo esto son virtudes.
Extraordinario Tondonia reserva que pone el contrapunto a las últimas cosechas. Quizás se trate del tinto más sobrio y austero que haya probado de esta bodega. Impecable, sin filigranas, nada redundante, sin excesos de madera, sobrado de energía y con un equilibrio ya notable, y a mí entender con una proyeccion de guarda como nunca se había visto. Ya se puede disfrutar en su juventud pero cuesta saber hasta dónde va a crecer. Un vino magnífico, de gran pureza, fiel a la historia de la bodega pero con el añadido de calidad a la que nos estamos acostumbrando en los últimos años. El nivel de los Tondonia, blancos y tintos, es a día de hoy máximo. Mientras otras bodegas se pliegan a la tensión del mercado y pierden identidad, R. López de Heredia vive su época dorada.
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 75% tempranillo, 15% garnacho, 10% mazuelo y graciano. 12.5% vol. - Viñedo situado en la margen derecho del Río Ebro, con una altitud entre 438 y 489 metros sobre suelos aluviales hasta arcillo-calcáreos con presencia de gravas y cantos rodados. Uva vendimiada a mano a partir del 11 de octubre. Permanece durante 6 meses en grandes depósitos de madera de 60 hectolitros, sin control de temperatura, en los que realiza la fermentación alcohólica y maloláctica, y se estabiliza antes de ser transvasado para su posterior maduración en madera. Seis años de crianza en barricas usadas de roble americano de 225 litros elaboradas por los toneleros de la propia bodega. Sometido a 2 trasiegas manuales cada año, de barrica a barrrica. Clarificación con claras de huevos frescos. 260.000 botellas elaboradas. Un mínimo de 4 años de guarda en botellero en los viejos calados de Haro antes de ser comercializado. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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One of highest scores ever. Nose: strong earthy stink, a bit tart when first opened, pepper and dark fruit. Minimum 2 hr decant: Taste of leather and just tart chees, heavy body, excellent balance, moderate tannins, medium-long length. This bottle was superb, but others in my six ranged from near this quality to slightly past prime and a bit gamey and tart. DRINK NOW
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5/1/2024 - rbs1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really worth waiting 20 years
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4/19/2024 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
1/7, excellent cork. Decanted and immediately served,
Nose a bit reticent at first but soon opens up to reveal dark, smoky fruit, notes of old leather and sea salt and just a touch of tobacco. Medium bodied on the palate, dark leathery fruit on initial entry, refined tannins - this has softened nicely, middleweight with lots of salinity coming through on the back of the mid-palate, fresh acids, good length finish with a touch of grip right on the tail end. Lovely, and now drinking well.
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4/17/2024 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Wine #25 and my notes at this point are a little hard to read. But I *think* we found all the charms of aging red LdH here with ample dark red fruits, strawberry compote and spice. It kind of swung in and out of being fleshy and reserved. Where LdH can have a lot of variation, this was an excellent bottle.
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3/30/2024 - chatters wrote:
Picked to match with Peri Peri chicken which it did admirably. Vanilla, red berries, especially strawberry compote, the spice lifted the fruit here, a little textured burr, fleshy rather than fresh but utterly charming. I really should have more of this sumptuous juice in my cellllar.
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3/3/2024 - Tom Keates wrote: 90 Points
Initially rather tart, red fruit and very little else. 3 hour decant and the wine did start to open up, plummy leather and a hint of dried fruit and vanilla. A bit disappointing and rather acidic, tannins yet to resolve fully and a little hot on the palette. Medium length though not sure I wanted it to last that long! Perhaps, despite the 20 years of age, this bottle was opened too early. I was really hoping for a more tertiary profile and a softening of the tannin, alcohol and acidity. 90 points
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3/2/2024 - AMG4RPM Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully at 20 years of age, as expected. Lovely bouquet of dark fruit. Excellent, rich mouthfeel with a lingering finish . Altogether a wonderful wine.
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2/11/2024 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs. This was less expressive that my previous bottle. Perhaps it needed more air? Acidity dominated the little fruit it emerged. Some pleasant tobacco. Paired better with seared venison than with a ribeye steak.
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1/16/2024 - Zweder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful bouquet with red and dark berries as well as sweet spices. On the palate juicy red berries, fresh acidity and round, slightly sticky tannin. Good length and a beautiful wine.
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12/18/2023 - FrancoisTardif wrote: 88 Points
For the first 4h, le vin n'était pas agréable. Par la suite, il a commencé à s'ouvrir. La prochaine bouteille sera ouverte minimalement 12h à l'avance.
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12/11/2023 - Peter Kleban Likes this wine:
*+
Reasonably good, but not what it should be. Lacked character. Improved somewhat on keeping on counter with N2.
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12/3/2023 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rather similar to my previous note nearly 2 years later. Decanted for 6 hours and there were moments of reticence for the first 20ish min. In the glass this eventually opened up a bit more. Very classic, singed blood orange and red fruits dance with some leathery dried herbs. One thing that did strike me is that those secondary characteristics are more integrated and complete. Elegant and delightful, if not profound and striking.
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11/26/2023 - Martin_G wrote: 91 Points
Another great bottle. Suboptimal conditions for tasting, still a great bottle. Not flat or tired, not at all.
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11/20/2023 - Irish_Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Savoury, developed nose with a core of fresh red cherry and cranberry enveloped with earthy, dried dill, mushrooms and sultanas. Medium bodied on the palate with vibrant acidity and partly resolved tannins. Long, dried fruit and savoury finish. Drinking very well now but no rush.
WSET Notes:
Deep garnet.
Pronounced on the nose with red cherry, cranberry, dried dill, coconut, earth, leather, tobacco, soy sauce, sultana, mushroom, and dried cherry. Fully developed.
Pronounced and dry on the palate. Medium body, medium alcohol, high acidity, medium plus tannins, long finish.
Can drink now but has potential for ageing.
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11/18/2023 - chbeaumont wrote: 91 Points
Consistent to last years bottle, with little development. Stolid.
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11/14/2023 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Double decant then drank about 2 hours later. This was well-integrated with black fruit, leather, spice and some wood notes.
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11/12/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. Drank a glass over an hour. Same bottle as galewskj. Cherry, fresh, lacquer, full bodied, mineral, long, youthful and expressive. More to come.
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11/12/2023 - m.lupus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best bottle of this vintage I have ever had, maybe because it was the oldest (so far). It seems this wine simply needs further cellaring when it comes on the market despite the relatively old age it already has. For example, I had a bottle of the vintage 2010 last year and it was rather disappointing (still).
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11/2/2023 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 91 Points
Splash decanted (left there for 4hrs). Wine has some bricking - ruby in color, with a tinge of brownish-orange tines. Excellent balance. Tannins close to fully integrated, very powdery. Oak also fully integrated. Medium high to high acidity. Red fruited, complicated by leather and tobacco. Very classic Tondonia.
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10/23/2023 - varun01 wrote: flawed
Acetone!
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10/17/2023 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
29 months after the prior, and our fourth: Ruby/ touch of copper/ orange, with slight bricking. Translucent edges. Beautifully in balance, with suggestions of tobacco and leather. Complex and lively. Excellent acid backbone. Excellent over three nights.
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10/15/2023 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last of my case and the best bottle yet. Leather, some spicy woody notes, cherries and subtle vanilla. Beautiful, restrained but very long.
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10/8/2023 - Brucie69 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day 1. I struggled with this. Fairly strong oxidative elements compromised both the nose and palate for me.
By Day 2 it had changed completely. A lovely integrated nose of subtle vanilla, tobacco, earth, cherry and redcurrant. On the palate a sophisticated melange of cherry, plum, raspberries and redcurrant, with the secondary bass notes of tobacco and earth. All brought together by a strong acid line and a nice touch of vanilla. It’s definitely on the savoury side but all the better for it.
Lovely stuff and note bene to myself. Don’t give up on a wine if it seems oxidised on day 1. Some wines blow it off and blossom.
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9/18/2023 - Morten & Morten Likes this wine: 95 Points
Højkol 23
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8/31/2023 - Eric Wright Likes this wine: 93 Points
Showing beautifully right now. Acid and tannins very well balanced. Savory, chocolate, beautiful with food
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8/26/2023 - Vas19 wrote: 90 Points
Pretty classic rioja, I dont see this improving much from here.
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7/27/2023 - portman63 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tobacco on the nose and tobacco and leather with soft sour cherry on the palate. The fruit expands with 30 to 60 min of air. I'm not getting that this is past it's prime at all. I think this is what it is gonna be for a few more years. I drink 1-2 a year of each vintage to follow several vintages at a time and they start a little lean and tart, then more rounded within 2-3 years after release and hold for several more years. This is about 6 years in and I'm at the end of my case so just about as long as I can can hold them as they are so good at the price and the vintages are reasonably consistent so I only hold the Grand Riserva's for longer.
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7/23/2023 - DFBW wrote: 87 Points
Final bottle drink up after the last one. Consistent with my previous note - sadly the fruit has left the party. Drank alongside a glass of 2011 Ribeira and the contrast was stark.
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7/5/2023 - drfloyd wrote:
Good - not great. From a magnum - the fruit was still tight after pulling the cork for dinner about four hours earlier. A bit one-dimensional on the nose with mint dominating - great acidity though. I think this was just too young given the large bottle. I left one glass in the bottle, no cork and sampled it at lunch the next day. Much better with the fruit fully filling out - this needs more time, at least from a magnum…
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5/28/2023 - DFBW Does not like this wine: 86 Points
A lot of chat on CT about bottle variation but three dodgy ones in a row tells a different story to me. Tastes tired and lifeless. Lacks any vibrancy, fruit or freshness. Over the hill - ignore the drinking window and definitely don't wait until 2040!
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5/25/2023 - nectar14 Likes this wine:
Had a while back... balanced, authentic, delicious. Such a benchmark. Can age another 10-25 I think
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4/16/2023 - bjamesclark wrote: 91 Points
Notes of dried sour cherry, dried cranberries, pepper, earth, pencil box, tea, dried rose, leather, cigar tobacco sous bois and mushroom are present on both the nose and the palate.
Still showing a bit of youthfulness and tension. Structured with above moderate and high-toned acidity, grippy tannins, balanced alcohol and mid-palate density.
75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. 6 years in American oak barrel before going to bottle.
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4/12/2023 - B Khor Likes this wine:
First time trying tondonia as recommended by mingyao. Had it with steak. On the nose strong oak/cinnamon, on the palate, plum like, tasted very young, lacked the complexity I expected in a 19 yo wine. Nonetheless, very tasty especially its acidity. Would purchase it again for sure.
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4/11/2023 - M.Y. Chong Likes this wine:
Sour plum acid
Cigar box
Cinnamon and anise
Good fruit
Good with food
Tannins still present therefore needs food
Medium bodied
Still many more years ahead
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2/18/2023 - wylee Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bought during our honeymoon in 2016. Cork is in perfect condition, and my bottle was drinking beautifully. Double decanted for an hour, and drank over 1.5 hours more. No rush to drink.
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1/25/2023 - Dale M wrote:
Decanted 90 minutes. A tad bit of Heredia funk on the nose blew off after 10 minutes revealing all the goodness of a quality Tondonia vintage; cigar wrapper, roses, nervy plum scents etc. Carries over to the palate, but with some pretty good punch of acidity throughout. Velvety and very tactile in it’s progression down the palate, culminating in a finish that is full of both deliciousness and character. I think the 04 has long term aging potential.
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1/14/2023 - chatters wrote:
Spanish fun day one (N&J's place, Canberra): From Coravin. Leather, earth, slightly oxidised baked red fruits, smidge of vanilla, sweet spic, cream, a little fresh strawberry with time. Juicy, red hued fruit rove slight sour which lends freshness, tangy, tannins are slightly drying, persistent and support the fruit alcohol warmth is non intrusive, a little leather, vanilla, cream complete the picture, fresh, balanced. Lovely
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12/24/2022 - mimik Likes this wine:
Needed time to open up but was really nice once it did open up. Needs 4/5 more years
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12/23/2022 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow! Scores range from 84 to 95 from the ( for me ) well respected tasters. I have a slight cold, so maybe my judgement is affected. Both the nose and the overall balance got better over 3 years since I last had it. I am tending to 91-92 now, still expecting some upward movement. Very elegant. Good.
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12/19/2022 - neilsforest Likes this wine:
Decanted for c2 hours. Drinking very well. Decent length and complexity. Very pleasant. Drink or hold.
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12/4/2022 - Nyglobal Likes this wine: 89 Points
I had this Reserva 2004 in 12/2022. A nice find in a relative’s cellar but it was not kept with the best conditions. Wine was still surprisingly good. Cork in perfect condition.
Medium garnet color; slow thick legs;
Nose of ripened cherries, oak, smoke;
The body has lost strength and tanins, oak leather cherry earthy flavors, light finish.
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11/23/2022 - happyhyrax Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice mix of primary, secondary and tertiary flavours. None of the dank, musty qualities you get with some older bottles of Tondonia. This was balanced and sharp with good acidity. In a very nice place and, to my mind, better than the 2007 I had recently.
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11/13/2022 - chbeaumont wrote: 92 Points
Deep garnet; plush nose, rich fruit & some oak; palate mirrors nose, rounded tannins, acidity underscores; well mannered finishes. This has more to deliver.
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11/5/2022 - CHINACAT wrote: 89 Points
Ripe dark fruit, some nice earthy and minerally notes, but a bit oaky, muddy and short, and the tannins still had some bite. Maybe an off bottle.
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10/15/2022 - WineKnurd Likes this wine: 95 Points
Audized w/ cork out for about 30 minutes then fully decanted before serving. Spicy, oaky notes of cigar box and cedar on the immediate decant which evolved into the more traditional, aged Tondonia nose- red and black fruits, black cherry especially, with tomato paste, damp earth, kir / liqueur, bloody meat, and iron-like minterality. Love the way the nose develops after about an hour in the decanter, oaky cedar notes notes move in and out of the foreground with the primary fruit and secondary earth, want to just consume this wine through its aromas.
Palate retains this vibrancy with one of the more unique Tondonia profiles- tart blackberries and mushroom compost umami with bone marrow and hints of iodine, spicy Cameroon leaf wrapped cigars, white pepper, and oak vanilla. The leathery, leafy tannins are met with almost immediate, re-wetting acidic regeneration that lights up all areas of the palate; a true sensory jamboree.
The longer it breathes in the decanter, both the nose and palate become more energized with black fruits and the tertiary leather & tobacco become more pronounced; BUT, once you think you have this wine figured out, it switches gears completely to red cherries, pomegranate, and sweet persimmon. I kept having to go back and update my notes which seemed like it gave the wine just enough time to develop into something else.
Every LdH tasting note I write it always ends with pining for the days when this was sub-$30 a bottle but damn, talk about punching above your weight. Solid A (95) evaluation.
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7/31/2022 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Complex, balanced, surprisingly full bodied, distinctive.
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7/24/2022 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 2-3h, definitely improved with time, shifting from tart cherries, to a more juicy expression. The nose has eucalyptus, spices, oak. On the palate, the cherries on the attack, backed up by mineral, forest floor, spices, and a long acid tempranillo finish. Great complexity. Paired with chicken in herb infused mushroom cream sauce. 92/93
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7/3/2022 - prof b wrote:
great out of the bottle but it evolved all night. drink or hold.
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7/3/2022 - OttawaB wrote: 93 Points
Wow talk about bottle variation. Drinking very nicely right now.
Colour : Garnet to browning. Very little sediment.
Aromas : Cherries, plums, coconut, incense, cigar smoke. Also dried fruit, savoury spice and cedar notes. Nicely complex but subtle.
Flavours : Delicious, medium bodied. Bit of a stewed feel ... berry liqueur, but fluid and not soupy/thick feeling. Great structure overall. Tannins are slightly chewy, ripe. Some balsamics and prunes, figs creeping in. Still getting some cherry/berry fruit and plums and berry liqueur. Some herbal notes like savory also showing. Medium acidity. No rough edges, round and smooth. What a fantastic bottle. Its why this is one of my favourite brands to collect and drink.
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6/20/2022 - chcook Likes this wine:
PNP. Cork perfect. Color dark garnet. This one strikes a balance for me. Sometimes the LDH wines are a little closed down nedding air and even more age. This one is more plump and succulent from go and although it shows all of the characteristics you would expect to me it is more full bodied. surprisingly more approachable than other vintages. Went down easily tonight with duck breast topped with a blueberry reduction. I think I will hang onto remaining bottles because this is in no danger of decline.
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6/8/2022 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS; Rioja (By RW and PB): In the bouquet dark berries, a bit rustic, tea and tertiary. On the palate very ripe red and dark berry fruits, chocolate, licorice, juicy acidity, balsamic acid, a firm amount of bitterness and slightly sticky tannin.
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4/22/2022 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
This was from a by the glass pour. Right away, this is unmistakably LdH as tones of sour red fruits, raspberries, cranberries, dill, vanilla beans, tobbacco, leather, tomato leaf, oak, and dried herbs. The nose is beautifully complex and firing on all cylinders. The Medium/full bodied feel is robust and a bit angular with tart, medium+ acidity and silky, medium tannins. This feels like its right in its window. There is a long life ahead of it, but it is a real joy to drink right now.
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4/8/2022 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very complex with sophisticated aromas, but too tart for me to enjoy fully.
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3/19/2022 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Rioja and lunch selection (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Sweet spice, generous red berry (especially strawberry) fruit, a little baked, slightly oxidised, touch of vanilla. Sourly juicy, tiny vanilla, then there is a more generous almost red cherry note, tannins are chalky, slight alcohol warmth on the finish with some creamier elements. Okay.
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3/8/2022 - platpeeps Likes this wine: 94 Points
Surprisingly fresh and savoury, black cherry fruit develops a silky smooth mouthfeel extending into a superfine lingering finish. Perfectly balanced and proportioned, this is currently drinking superbly. A really serious contender. CHP 94 pts
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1/30/2022 - Iam Redwood wrote: 95 Points
Now 18 years old and drinking beautifully. Gorgeous!
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1/28/2022 - Martin_G wrote: 92 Points
Yeah it feels good to know you can always return to ldh. This bottle had tca taint, and I was really upset. After decanting, heating in room temp for 2 h, and excessive swirling it went away, but still. However I prefer to focus on the upside (if there is one) and boy - what beauty after a few hrs! Constantly evolving and changing with every sip. Judging by this bottle this is perfect timing - acid and tannin have mellowed out, tertiary notes all over the place but fruit still lively. Balance by integration.
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1/22/2022 - jarthars Likes this wine: 90 Points
First taste on opening was unpleasantly acidic and imbalanced, and managed to give it a 4h decant before drinking with dinner (meant to get it open earlier, but alas). By that point it was transformed and everything one would hope from a traditional rioja. We put a stopper in the decanter to save a glass for ourselves tmrw - interesting to see how it changes between now and then. Drank with a boeuf bourguignon on a chilly Saturday night at home.
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1/7/2022 - OttawaB wrote: 86 Points
Disappointing. Garnet in colour.
Aromas of dark berry fruit, balsamic and oxidative notes. Sandalwood, incense, smoky.
Flavours show tea and balsamic notes, with sherry-like oxidative flavours. Red and dark berry fruit. Earthy, spices, and peppery flavours as well on the finish. Touch of caramel. Acidity has definitely declined, to a point where the wine shows touches of flabbiness. Smooth ripe dusty tannins. A savouriness on the finish.
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1/5/2022 - Lype Likes this wine:
Open and tempting bouquet of sour cherries, the palate is light yet dense, lively and mouthwatering, sour dark cherries, polished mahogany, Spanish saddle leather, savoury spiciness, dry as British humour but Spanish through and through. Not a ripe heavy hitter but structure driven and classical. Good acidity as always, refined tannins. Long dry finish which virtually screams old skool Rioja. It took a while to get here but now the 2004 is the quintessential vintage of red Viña Tondonia Reserva. It is hard to see this wine being better but let's wait for the 2010 to be released (and give the already available post 2004 vintages a chance too). In the meantime, this is nearly perfect leaving pretty much nothing to be desired.
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1/2/2022 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 91 Points
Despite being open for 24hrs, this still came across as rather tight. Tangy, juicy red fruits are still tightly woven. The secondary characteristics are dominated by pipe tobacco, leather, and dill - these are showing nicely. Supremely supple texture and lovely tannins, but these need many more years. Bottle varitation of course means some may be in a better place (as was my last bottle 18 months ago!) than others.
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12/30/2021 - Swirling wrote: 91 Points
My third bottle since I got hold of a case of 6 1.5 years ago.
This bottle I literally stored under the bed for a year to see how it develops. So it has been stored poorly (higher temp for 1 year) to speed things along.
Pop and pour. Absolutely lovely already. After the initial vanilla has faded, spice coupled with sour cherry, tons of spice, netmeg, meaty…
Palate superb, med+ length, med tanin, Love it.
Decanting should help with more complexity but already so attractive. This is miles different to my previous 2 bottles where it was just so muted before decanting.
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12/28/2021 - kronfeld wrote:
PnP. Dusty ruby. Old furniture polish and dried coconut flakes nose. Thin, sour and dusty. Seemed sort of shut down. Limited tertiary notes. Began to open up after two hours but by then it was gone.
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11/24/2021 - ploher wrote:
Beautiful and expressive nose offering dried tomatoes, old furniture, coconut, cherries and those signature blood / iron notes of LdH. At least the nose on this bottle seems clearly more mature / ready than my last bottle some 1.5 years ago. But the palate is still fresh of course with high acidity that is in harmony with the ripe fruit and sensual tannins. Again lots of dried tomatoes and blood displaying real character. This is now slowly getting there, but still upside I think. 17.5+/20
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11/20/2021 - Gregboch wrote: 88 Points
Son brought this bottle for Thanksgiving weekend. Very much fun and wonderful. As it opened it became wonderful. Early, nutty and raw meat. Much softer as it opens with more vanilla and specifically almond. Earthy gives way to dried fruit.
Tobacco early
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11/13/2021 - Oliverl1 Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Had a bad experience recently with the 2008 vintage. I thought maybe it was too young. So, I thought I would try the 2004 vintage. What a disappointment, just like the 2008. Completely one-dimensional and uneventful upon opening. Decanted FIVE hours and not much improvement at all. Tasted like a $25 bottle (I paid $85). I just don’t get it. What is the attraction?
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9/25/2021 - FEDEVIDAL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tomado sin decantar, simplemente abierto una hora antes. Presenta un color picota de baja intensidad muy atejado en general. El aroma es vivo y profundo y da una hermosa combinación de elementos frutales con terciarios; se encuentran arándanos, eneldo fresas y cerezas, y junto con todo ello también se encuentran champiñones, ebanistería fina,y tierra mojada. La boca es de cuerpo medio, pero mucho más intenso que la añada del 2002 que probé hace unos meses, lo que indica que aún debe sufrir el proceso de adelgazamiento que es propio de estos vinos. Los taninos son suaves, finos y sedosos. Muy expresivo, con fruta oscura bien integrada, acidez marcada y final muy largo y amargante. Debe evolucionar todavía
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8/17/2021 - rmalloy wrote: 89 Points
Tasted blind. This is a rather disjointed wine, but I think it will improve with age. It has savory acidity and big tannins. The aromas remind me of yogurt, dill, stinky leather, and dried, tart red cherries. My best guess is this is a young Rioja. Rating: 89.
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7/6/2021 - N777 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Purchased at a local wine store in a demi bottle.
Appearance: deep tawny color with hints of orange, medium tearing, light staining, no gas, some sediment. Definite rim variation, with lighter orange/red colors towards the edge of class.
Nose: clean medium(+) intensity sweet butterscotch with notes of coconut/dill secondary aromas.
Palate: Medium flavors of caramel with notes of orange peel, forest floor, and dill. High acidity, fairly big tannins that get stronger after a couple of seconds on the tongue, medium alcohol, medium(+) bodied, smooth textured, with a medium(+) woodsy and slightly smoky finish.
A very intriguing and more process-driven Rioja, A lot of age and nice finish.
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6/11/2021 - Smithc1214 wrote: 93 Points
This wine can go for quite a while more. Nose dark fruit, tabacco, slight vanilla. Taste has sour cream, slight dill, finish has a very strong mushroom flavor. Opened 1 hr before drinking.
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5/25/2021 - levicn wrote: 89 Points
开瓶即饮，中石榴红酒体，闻香有老酒的酱味，刚开瓶散出的酒精感，李子一类果香，烟熏质感，入口酸度高，咸咸的酒液，单宁已经很细，丝绒一样触感，收口甜，话梅，山楂一类的香气，口感就像在喝酸梅汁，果味比较弱，后段有些甘草的感觉，余味是轻盈的樱桃一类果香。随着醒酒时间增长，闻香多了淡淡山楂和鲜味，老酒的酱味依然存在，入口咸鲜，浆果的香气比刚开瓶时明显，酸酸的，强烈的回甜，伴随着收尾美桶的奶香和一些辛香料感，中后段的状态逐渐提升，表现更加完整，醒酒一个半小时以后进入最甜美的状态，一支以橡木桶影响为主导的酒，咸香辛辣，余味悠长，可惜的是酒稍显老态，早几年饮用更佳。
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5/19/2021 - skp88 wrote: 91 Points
Prunes with a cherry core, nice long finish, fully resolved tannins
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5/17/2021 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
37 months after the prior, and our third: Medium light ruby with some translucence at the edges. Savory, dusty, with bare suggestions of pleasant funk and perhaps bit of musk. Yes, as some notes below suggest, old leather and maybe a hint of blood orange. Beautifully balanced, with lovely acidity. Highly enjoyable over three nights.
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5/13/2021 - 2caveman Likes this wine: 91 Points
This has a simply exquisite nose after a 2 hour decant-- tobacco, candied fruit, spice. In the mouth it is less expressive with medium body, faded fruit, and short finish. In my opinion, the trajectory of this wine may be downward at 17 years old, though my experience with very old Rioja is limited. I will drink my 2 remaining bottles over the coming 1-2 years
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4/20/2021 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
Bottle and cork in perfect condition. Medium to dark ruby colour. Red fruit, blood orange, dill, tobacco, leather, light coffee, spices, light vanilla, and light balsamic notes, with great acidity, fine tannin and superb length. Good intensity. Medium-bodied, well-balanced and fairly smoothly textured. Good! The 2004 is my favourite of the more recent vintages. Drink with a two-hour decant, or hold. 91(+)
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4/18/2021 - empire80 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very similar to my last note; excellent.
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4/15/2021 - Bomb Cellar wrote: 85 Points
Over the hill.
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4/12/2021 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pretty nose of red fruit, cedar, and a hint of chocolate and tobacco. Nice acidity with red fruit, iron, medium tannins, and blood orange notes on the palate. Nice finish. Drinking quite well already!
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3/26/2021 - Lemmy-W wrote: flawed
badly flawed.
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3/6/2021 - DFBW Likes this wine: 89 Points
Better than my last bottle - felt a lot more structured. Fruit was still there and it didn't have the slightly over-aged age to it that my last bottle had. It was actually hard to define as a Rioja which is unusual. Two more left to be drunk over the next couple of years. CT drinking window open until 2029 - I wouldn't recommend waiting that long...
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2/19/2021 - aagrawal wrote: 89 Points
Coravin. Medium youthful ruby; aromatic, slight VA, dill, black fruits, plummy; palate is medium bodied, medium-plus acidity, balanced medium alcohol (13%), fruit fades through the midpalate which is quite noticeable; finish is medium-minus length. Similar to my bottle from last year, this vintage seems weaker than average for LdH. 89
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1/21/2021 - Swirling Likes this wine: 90 Points
Half a year after my previous note.
This time let’s experiment with bottle breathe.
Day1 23:00: pop and pour out until mid shoulder and leave in wine cellar for tomorrow.
PnP: vanilla and oak, some meaty tones. The vanilla notes goes away after 5 mins, with the meaty notes remaining. Palate med to full bodied, with good acidity. Not much to write about.
Looking forward to testing it tomorrow..... to be continued.
Day 2 20:00: (so 21 hours after opening.) first glass appear muted, was regretting the experiment until it started to emerge on second and third glass.
Nose: med minus intensity, red fruit, red cherry?, vanilla, with meaty notes underneath. Good, nothing inspiring. But still have a feeling something is hiding under it.
Palate: med bodied, sour cherry, sweet vanilla, med length. Superb like the palate a lot.
Very good. Next time I would bottle breathe again if forced to pop one but would probably leave it under the bed for 5 more years.
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1/1/2021 - Smahlatz wrote:
Not sure about the condition of this bottle. Was good but not greatly expressive. Past it by day 3. Nose was compact with a healthy kick off spice. Palate is refined, with a tinge of sour fruit and that spice kicking in at the end. Judgement reserved
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12/13/2020 - pcwoz Likes this wine: 94 Points
On the nose macerated black cherries some light sous bois and vanilla. This carries on to the palate. It is a medium body. Very long. Tannins have softened and fully integrated. Wine has a lovely fresh acidity throughout, beginning to end.
94-95
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12/12/2020 - Torchy wrote: 91 Points
The wine is brick red with a brownish edge. Complex and deep scent of leather, lightly moistened tobacco. Dark fruit, blackberries, mint, forest, and spices. It may be the season but I also find hints of almond/marzipan. Still tight structure. The wine is perceived as mature and tastes of tobacco, sweet and sour fruits, and ripe red apples
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12/9/2020 - heidoanddave wrote: 93 Points
A classic and beautiful Rioja with leather fruit. Spices, cherries good integration.
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11/30/2020 - GUBBIO wrote: 91 Points
right from the start, this was closed and a bit tart
2 hour decant -high energy, a bit wound up, vibrant acidity
after 5 hours, this mellowed, came together but was still a bit held back. it is really lovely but i felt from all of the stages that i tasted this through , it was not showing itself well at all. it was timid but has back bone. for me, this was at an awkward stage. Considering it's track record, and vintage, this needs to go longer in the cellar. i have 4 more bottles and i wont touch another for about 4 to 5 years. i think it will hit its stride in 8 or so.
i am sure that this will be a beauty when it is at the right point.
don't get me wrong, this was nice, very nice but it is not showing all of it's feathers at the moment
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11/29/2020 - DugyDog Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious but wait 5 years for more tertiary development.
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11/27/2020 - BadOyster wrote: 94 Points
Drinking wonderfully, but could easily use more time with more savory evolution. Still with bright cherries on palate, and cedar, tobacco and leather notes. A smidge more new world than I'm used to in Tondonia bottlings.
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11/23/2020 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 89 Points
Garnet in colour. Aromas of dark berry fruit, sandalwood, incense, smoky.
Flavours show tea and balsamic notes on top of the red and dark berry fruit. Earthy, spices, and peppery flavours as well on the finish. Touch of vanilla. Nice acidity with a bit of tanginess on the berry fruit flavours. Smooth ripe dusty tannins. A savouriness on the finish.
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11/8/2020 - ploher wrote:
Very slow development here, almost no evolution since my last bottle a bit more than 1.5 years ago. This is still a bit reserved, even after some hours in the decanter. I still think this will turn out as a top vintage of Tondonia with its beautiful, mineral, dark fruit core, the very lively acidity, fine tannins and silky texture, and is already a true showcase of how elegant Spanish wine can be. But somehow I don't lose the feeling that there is something even greater buried here still, hiding for the really patient. Time will tell. 17.5+/20
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10/31/2020 - jviz wrote: 92 Points
I’ve only had a few other vintages, but having become more familiar with 06 and 07, the 2004 shows a little less rustic and more fruit forward, even at this stage. The nose shows dried red fruits and dry herbs. On the palate, the wine has good freshness, with notes of red currant and dehydrated strawberry. Despite a pleasing texture it is decidedly not resolved though. I would estimate at least a decade for that, maybe more.
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10/9/2020 - chatters wrote:
Riojan investigation (Frank's place in Matraville): From Coravin. A little black tea note supports red fruits, spice, earth, muted vanilla and, with time, red berry lozenges with touches of almost peppery spcie. In the mouth it's juicy with medium plus intensity acidity, savoury, slightly meaty elements as well as red berries and a slightly silky tannic burr. Wetly enjoyable.
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9/8/2020 - nhericks Likes this wine: 92 Points
From half Bottle. Just had a sip with Surf and Turf on a weekday Lunch. It was really great directly out of the bottle. The 2nd glass in the in the evening had lost a lot. Pop and pour.
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9/5/2020 - acheng wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well but not as impress as last bottle. Crunchy acidity and some tannin to go.
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9/4/2020 - ricard Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yet another bottle of this enduring classic. So much has been said about this wine... And this vintage just keeps on giving. Peppery and saline spicy and austere. Uncompromising and authentic. Still great, but still young. Decades left in this. So good.
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8/26/2020 - chbeaumont wrote: 90 Points
Marginal development form last year. A rough hewn edge, which didn't soften.
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8/24/2020 - iobtoel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark purple still, with tiny bit of fade at rim
Immediately after opening - very closed
After 2 hour decant - Cherry, blueberry notes, tobacco, chocolate on nose. Blueberries and cherries on palate with hints of minty coolness. Some spice towards the end with tobacco notes.
4-6 hours - more harmonised, open. Dark berry sweetness with more earthy notes. Hints of currants. Evolves. Subtle, well integrated. Sweet finish.
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8/21/2020 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light ruby. When first opened, it was lean (completely without texture) and green, with a predominant and aggressive tone of fennel. I was not convinced that time in a decanter would help, but I was wrong. What emerged 4 hours later was a medium bodied wine with a much better mouth feel, blackberry fruit that approached but did not achieve real sweetness, and a firm, earthy, very mineral core. The green had pulled back to a more gentle, high toned menthol. In the end, very good but clearly not an ethereally silky or particularly charming Lopez de Heredia wine. I was really impressed with this in 2016, but 2 subsequent bottles have not been nearly as good. At any rate, I've got two words of advice for anyone opening one over the near term: decant it!
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8/2/2020 - Bakerbd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark ruby with a fair amount of bricking, sour cherry and cedar, some oak, high acid, lots of life left
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8/2/2020 - Tannatastic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still quit dark, dense garnet colour. On initial opening, a good blast of funk, barnyard and old flower vase and darker fruits. It took a while for the funkiness to blow off, to reveal a core of dark dense fruits (more stewed and preserved than fresh).
This is still a baby, we kept half the bottle in the decanter, and on day three it is still coiled up (in common with many wines of the vintage), with a slight tannic grip. IMHO needs to relax a few more years to peak , hopefully meshing together and becoming a little more elegant.
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7/14/2020 - chatters wrote:
Phil's Birthday tasting (Phil's place, Putney, Sydney): From Coravin. Leather, red berry sweet spice, toast, a little vanilla, dried raisins and currants. More of the same on the palate with quite sharp acidity and drying, talc textured tannins. The fruit is joined by a little cream. Hmm, the acid is a little pokey for me on this occasion.
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6/23/2020 - julen789 Likes this wine: 92 Points
One glass. Surprisingly elegant and round with gentle tannins, medium astringency. Classically Rioja perfume with concentrated red fruits (cranberries, blackberries, black cherries, blackcurrants), some tobacco and leather, smoke, an acidic yogurt-like sensation, fresh roses and potpourri, fresh blood and iron, a slight farmyard note.
92pt
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6/17/2020 - Iam Redwood wrote: 94 Points
Very nice for a 16 year rioja. Structure, quality and flavour still intact and follow last tasting
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6/14/2020 - djarcara Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark brick garnet color. Perfumed nose of dark fruits. Flavors of plum, dark cherry, cinnamon, and clove. The wine is very acidic with bold tannins. The fruit is slightly faded, but should come back into balance as the acidity and tannins further resolve over the next few years. Drink now, but only with at least an hour or two decant. This has at least another 10+ years ahead of it. Very traditional old school Rioja.
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5/23/2020 - kronfeld wrote:
Medium ruby. Silky, vanilla notes, juicy red fruit. This was completely closed-in in 2017 when I last tried it. Now very pleasurable. No Many years ahead. Wish I had bought more.
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4/25/2020 - DFBW Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Disappointing. Tastes too old even for a 2004 Reserva Rioja - never lost the prune-like aroma. Also lacks the silky smooth rich taste I was expecting. Strange but true. Got three left - could be bottle variation but won't be hanging around too long to find out.
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4/14/2020 - HPringle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vivid red fruit and bracing acidity, with a little funk and the typical hallmarks of old school rioja. On day two nose had turned and palate slightly overly stewed fruit. No hurry but drink within the day once open.
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4/12/2020 - acheng wrote: 93 Points
Superiority of the vintage once again comes through in spades. Wonderful last night and just as good tonight. Should age well effortlessly.
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4/12/2020 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
A little glass over lunch. On fine form, still young but the finish is magnificent. Needs time to reveal the fruit so worth decanting, I think.
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4/2/2020 - drwine2001 wrote:
Ruby with ligher outer third. Subdued nose but some pine and balsam wood. Medium to lighter weight showing the wood. More herbal than fruit flavors and a surprising chocolate note underneath. Mineral finish. Tonight it is too dry and has too much oak for me. Not as good as I remember it, and not nearly as harmonious or silky as the best Lopez de Heredia wines can be.
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3/24/2020 - OenoEd Does not like this wine: 78 Points
Regretably, an off half bottle here after tasting and noting 3 prior beautiful halves, last in May of last year. The oxidation which added interest in other bottles has taken over the wine. Too much mature amber, too lean, oaky, metallic. Riojas sometimes come around after 30 years and surprise you, but not this bottle.
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3/8/2020 - aagrawal wrote: 89 Points
Minimal sediment. Medium ruby; medium intensity aromas with dill, black fruits, plum, slight cacao; palate is medium bodied, medium-plus acidity, darker fruits well integrated, medium to medium-plus alcohol (bottle says 13% but comes across as 14%), fruit fades a bit through the midpalate; short-medium length finish. Youthful, and I think this will improve with decanting. 88+
2 hours air: This blends together a bit better, still shows its oak but the fruit persists a bit more through the midpalate and alcohol is more in check. Finish is still a bit short-medium. 89-90
6 hours: similar to 2 hours.
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3/8/2020 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Six hour decant and oh what a wine. On opening, fruit was a little thin and acidic. Blossoms into a fragrant expression of plummy red fruit with dill, tobacco, and old leather. Multilayered and medium bodied, this has a structure that is so wonderfully versatile with food and really picks up on smokey notes, like Chorizo, beautifully.
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2/29/2020 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Leoville Barton & new arrivals (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Red berries; especially strawberry, sweet spice, vanilla, caramel, slightly oxidative notes, slight herbaceous elements and biscuit, with time earthy elements and the vanilla is more to the fore. Juicy, slightly sour, fruit, that oxidative note is on the palate as well, wetly meaty, tannins are chalky, a little vanilla, slightly alcohol warmth, interesting, long. Nice.
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1/11/2020 - Kerino wrote: 91 Points
Lovely stuff. Always reminding me that I’m nuts not to drink more Rioja. Amazing flavour. Low price. Come on. So this one is wood, toast, cherries, wood that has been smashed and left with a Spanish nobility to the nose.
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12/24/2019 - franm Likes this wine: 92 Points
cheers - the 1.5L size has helped prolong some of the fruit to perfectly balance the 15 years of aging on this incredible rioja. gorgeous wine on xmas eve.
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11/30/2019 - forceberry wrote: 95 Points
A blend of Tempranillo (75%), Garnacha (15%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%). Fermented spontaneously in old oak fermenters, aged in old American oak barriques for 6 years, bottled unfiltered and then aged for further 50 months in bottle. This wine could be easily labeled as Gran Reserva, but R. L. de Heredia chooses not to, because the wines labeled as Gran Reservas are aged even longer. 13% alcohol. Total production 260,000 bottles. Tasted in a Tondonia mini-vertical of 2002-2007.
Almost completely opaque black cherry color that permits very little light through, except from the wide, pale rim. At first the nose feels quite dry, fine-tuned and understated, but slowly starts to open up revealing aromas of strawberries, some red plums, a little bit of sweet leathery funk, light bretty notes of phenolic smoke, a hint of gunmetal and a touch of ripe black cherry. The wine is lively, medium-bodied quite ripe on the palate with dry, crunchy and somewhat concentrated flavors of wild strawberries, sour cherries, some stony minerality, a little bit of savory old leather, light red plum tones, metallic hints of blood and iron and a touch of greasy, gamey meat. The wine is impressively structured with its high acidity and moderately grippy yet quite ripe tannins. The finish is juicy, dry and rather tannic with long, savory flavors of sour cherries, tart red plums, some leathery tones, a little bit of wild strawberry, light earthy tones and a hint of bretty phenolic spice.
A very impressive, stern and structure-driven vintage of Tondonia with a beautiful combination of ripe yet fresh and crunchy fruit and rather assertive, muscular structure. Overall this wine felt more like a younger version of Tondonia Gran Reserva than your typical Tondonia Reserva. The overall feel is unashamedly old-school with the savory, subtly oxidative flavors and undertones of bretty funk. It feels like brett has also contributed a subtly metallic undertone to the wine, which takes a slight toll on the final score, but even then this is perhaps the best vintage of Tondonia Reserva from the 2000's. Most likely it will age like crazy if just left in a cellar. Exceptional value at 22€.
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11/30/2019 - Lype Likes this wine:
Mahogany and sour, slightly lactic features on the nose, the palate is classy as should be for such a strong vintage, noble wood, black cherries, plums, dark chocolate, a bit metallic the way these may get, a great balanced wine which is now ready to drink but will last, clearly my favourite in the mini-vertical.
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11/11/2019 - HPringle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Starting to show nicely. As others have mentioned, this is as classic as it comes. Displaying perfect typicality and years ahead if it.
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11/2/2019 - pcwoz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous stuff. Old school classical rioja reserve. I love this style. Sous bois, oak (not over the top but very well integrated), tobacco, crisp red fruits to give this a lovely acid/fresh streak.
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11/1/2019 - Lemari Likes this wine: 92 Points
Garnet-tawny appearance. Classic notes of plums, leather and dark chocolate on the nose and palate. With ample but balanced acidity, this will continue to gain complexity for many years.
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10/17/2019 - Tubulus wrote:
Surprisingly this felt a little tired compared to an 01 I had a few weeks ago. Less oak though. Good but not great.
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10/15/2019 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #042: Spain Tempranillo around 2011 (By AG): Powerful bouquet with tobacco, leather and some development. On the palate ripe dark and red berries, firm acidity, good tannin and red berries in the finish. The wine developed for the better in the glass. 91 – 92+
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10/13/2019 - mgreitzer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank over two days. Tight and closed on day 1, but really opened up and brightened on day 2. Definitely decant this one and give it time to come back to life.
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10/12/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Italian Dinner Chez David (David's Place, Mpls): Dark red color. PNP, small glass over 30 minutes. A bonus bottle from David, this is really starting to round into form. This is developing a perfume of deep cherry, lacquer, earth, violets, cigar and leather. The palate has moderate tannins and a deep medium full bodied frame that is consistent with the nose. Excellent, 92+pts.
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10/12/2019 - streethawk wrote: 91 Points
Definite cherry and leather notes on the nose with medium ruby red colour and some bricking evident. Tannins are so silky and almost fully integrated at this point, and yet I wonder if this is entering a bit of a quiescent phase as I have enjoyed previous bottles a little more. Will try again in 1-2 years to reassess
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8/20/2019 - chbeaumont wrote: 90 Points
Dark; prominent oak, primary; obvious fruit, richly textured. This should be left alone for a few years.
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8/12/2019 - Margaux Bro wrote: flawed
Flawed :-(
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8/7/2019 - Swirling Likes this wine: 89 Points
Day 1 Coravined
Day 2 Coravined
Day 3 popped
Day 3 notes: sweet cherry, leather, pencil, dense damp and smoky
Palate: savoury full bodied, sweet tannin, nice.
On Day 1 and 2, it was pleasant, but I could only say “it’s feels as though there is more to it.”
On Day 3, it is finally emerging and the rating is based on Day 3.
Very often with these nice aged Spanish wines, I feel the first few glasses so often does not do it justice. And Not until I’m nearly finished the bottle is when I truely enjoy the wine. I’ve tried using a vinturi aerator after coravin on my first pour, but it just doesn’t get the same results as Day3. If you know a way, do not hesitate to let me know!
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7/29/2019 - Jfrieser Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is old school Rioja in its truest expression. Nice showing. Cigar, leather, cherry, and earthy characteristics. I would say this wine has years to go and plenty of room for improvement. Decanted for an hour before drinking and it completely transformed.
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7/18/2019 - SteveG wrote: 90 Points
From memory, thoroughly enjoyable, but a good Tondonia, not a great one.
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6/16/2019 - JCGuthrie wrote: 91 Points
Opened about 2 hours before dinner, but did not decant. Subdued red fruit, earth, some vanilla. Very smooth. Less complexity than I was hoping for given age. Showed much better when paired with seafood and chorizo paella. Interested to try other vintages, but would buy this one again.
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6/2/2019 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Red fruit, vanilla, tobacco, plum, and dark berries on the nose. Great acidity, with flavors of tart dark berries, cedar, blood orange, and a hint of pomegranate on the palate. Good finish.
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6/1/2019 - stevegpg Likes this wine: 89 Points
Went perfectly with grilled pork chops with andouille sausage BBQ sauce. Always a great wine, soft fruit after 30 minutes in the glass.
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6/1/2019 - Winemaker51 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I’ve had this wine 5 years ago; and then again (last night) from a magnum (thanks to a generous friend!) Was not decanted; and was initially cedary and planky. After 45 minutes, or so; the complexity came out. Sweet breads, forest floor and some sandalwood. Medium bodied with more “traditional” Rioja flavors of oak, balsamic notes and leather. I think the 2004 was a lighter Rioja vintage; and can be enjoyed now.
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5/27/2019 - OenoEd wrote: 94 Points
My third note on this beauty; I’ve only been drinking halves because the full bottles require a few more years, and there seems to be more variation. Five halves Ive had have been great. Tonight, there’s an aroma of Mexican cinnamon/chili chocolate, mint, and cocoa shortbread. Some iodine and blackberry as well. This is all about complex acidity, which is not always appreciated, if one’s taste runs toward fleshier wines. Like cranberries very lightly coated in carob and dark chocolate, not full bodied but long, and superb with food. I made crispy chorizo and onion bits over a coarse corn meal, dandelion green, and (rehydrated) dried morel polenta, using turkey broth and a knob of tangy goat butter. Yummy.
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5/25/2019 - Zemini Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still very tight. Needs to be decanted for several hours before it opens up. Going to try again in another 6 months.
But right now I get tart cherry and spices
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5/19/2019 - Pluecht wrote: 88 Points
Past its prime
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5/9/2019 - T.E.D. wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with other bottles. Very taught with spice box, herbs, orange peel and cherry notes. Medium finish. Perhaps a bit light.
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5/9/2019 - lightning wrote: 91 Points
From a half bottle.
Garnet translucent core, scarlett towards the edge, clear rim. Nose of young strawberry, ginseng, spices, elegant and pleasant; acid spine prominent throughout, bright red fruits, a whisper of chalky tannin just holding on, an earthy tobacco leaf twist to finish, good length. The fruits build in volume with air. Lovely balance. Normal 750ml bottles have many years ahead.
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4/23/2019 - Billigan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pitch-perfect old-school Rioja expression, with tons of leathery, earthy, and tobacco/ash aromas and dusty sour cherry and dill flavors. Bolder, darker fruit expression than in most vintages of Lopez, but no loss of acidity or focus with the denser fruit profile. Excellent now, but with ample stuffing for the long haul. Muy bueno.
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4/19/2019 - miadelt Likes this wine: 94 Points
I just love the old world Rioja flavors that this wine brings. Medium bodied but intense flavors.
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4/17/2019 - maxima wrote: 88 Points
Sur le tertiaire pas mal!
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3/7/2019 - Vinomane wrote:
Considerable bottle variation on these. This specimen had a stewed quality, but turgid, lacking vibrancy. Nothing much ever changes at Lopez, and the 1962 was clean and lively, so maybe it just needs 20 years. Judgment reserved.
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2/23/2019 - empire80 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Old school rioja at its peak, meaty, tobacco, some cherry and vanilla, quite fresh acidity, super smooth
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2/22/2019 - Vasily wrote: 89 Points
earthy, woodsy nose. sour cherry.
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2/19/2019 - maxima wrote: 88 Points
Boisé et austère...à revoir.
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2/12/2019 - Crispin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Typical old style Rioja. Very impressive. Dark fruits. Still could be young - will last forever! We enjoyed.
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2/10/2019 - salil wrote: 90 Points
As Ash kept saying in the Evil Dead movies, groovy. Pretty red fruit accented by more low toned earthy and cedary notes, with air bringing out light floral and tobacco notes. There's a sense of polish here that makes it very easy to drink, though there is some fine grained tannin on the back end that never really eases with air.
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1/31/2019 - chatters wrote:
Annual Coravin blitz - day one (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Biscuit, red berry, cream, slight vanilla, muted though a little brooding. Slightly oxidised and rather spicy in the mouth with a little flour textured grip accompanying warm red berry fruit. Long.
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1/26/2019 - Saint B wrote:
Cedar wood and blackberries aroma with hints of strawberries, accompanied by an acidic tone to the aroma. Palate was dominated by salinity and plum fruit notes with mild oakiness. Tannins were not felt, would have preferred if there was more structure to this wine. Not long at all, felt a tad bit closed. Perhaps my expectations was a little too high for this bottle.
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1/23/2019 - Eric.S Likes this wine:
Cherries, leather, tobacco, prominent vanilla/baking spice and black tea. Went well with a Mediterranean meal - great food wine. Somewhat austere at the moment, but I’ve got a feeling this will be better tomorrow.
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1/5/2019 - Iam Redwood wrote: 93 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs - Gutierrez nailed this wine and his review. Lots of tea, leather and balsamic on the nose.
Nice acidity and pop of dried cherry in the mouth. An excellatnt nice Rioja.
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12/18/2018 - macliii Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice acidity with dark cherry and vanilla notes. Went wonderfully with a Chicken Cordon Blue with cheese sauce and Rissotto
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12/11/2018 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 94 Points
I last tasted and noted a half bottle of this in April, and gave it 93 points. It’s only getting better, and in my somewhat contrarian opinion, its perfectly delicious to drink tonight (with the little bottle open for an hour before tasting), as it will be in 20 years. Tonight I made dinner with lustier flavors to see if it would hold up: Iberico pork loin end marinated for 6 hours in cassareep, hoisin, fish sauce, smoked shoyu, mirin, coffee and orange juice. Broccoli rabe with garlic, dark maple syrup, and hot pepper and some lovely Indian Gold basmati. The bitterness of the rabe clashed with the wines gorgeous black fruit, but with the pork, seared six minutes in hot cast iron, it was a memorable pairing, each sip of wine was a savory dessert following each bite of meat, the exotic flavors of both, perfectly compatible. Be bold pairing rioja, it’s an amazing food companion.
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12/7/2018 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Lovely forest floor and dark, and earthy.
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12/1/2018 - Fredfredson Likes this wine:
Felt very young on initial encounter. Prominent acidity. After 24 hours in decanter, had become a lovely wine: much more integrated, more prominent bouquet and leather and dark cherry on the palate. A lovely traditional Rioja, eventually.
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12/1/2018 - petec-s Likes this wine: 91 Points
Forest floor and acidity, underlying redcurrant. Better showing than a previous bottle. superior food friendly and so reliable.
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11/16/2018 - ThalesGaspar Likes this wine: 89 Points
Brownish color, fells a lot older than 2005 and less interesting as well, but is still a good wine.
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11/16/2018 - Chateau du Fey 1994 Does not like this wine:
Either spoiled or past its prime. Either way I did not like it.
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11/14/2018 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #133; Spain, Rioja Reserva (By WW): Red berries in the mature bouquet. On the palate red berries, chocolate, high acidity and a good length. Something special.
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10/26/2018 - cubswinws wrote: 88 Points
Muddy,murky brown in color with muted fruit and mushroomy finish.
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10/18/2018 - David J Cooper wrote: 90 Points
Medium light red. Restrained nose, antique store, old wood, red fruit and plum nose. Nice dry cherry, plum and tobacco flavours and a dry finish. A medium weight wine that needs to develop some secondary character.
From a magnum.
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10/7/2018 - Doc2 Likes this wine:
I bought 2 bottles based on CT tasting notes and scores. I drank it because a good friend was over and I wanted to know if I should by more. Almost ruby red coming out of the bottle with a bit of browning. Energetic cherries on a leather background. Still with acidity. We great with a beef, sausage and porcini ragu. Still has many years ahead. Delicious wine and I will buy more.
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9/20/2018 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tradicional e sempre uma escolha segura
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9/17/2018 - Thehappytourist79 wrote:
This needs another decade.
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9/10/2018 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
The wine deities have certainly smiled upon me, affording the opportunity to taste this divine tonic twice in the space of two months. I came away with all the same impressions, most notably its youth. The wine's compelling substance aside, opening this now is tantamount to waste, unless enjoying over several days, as was my good fortune in July. Recommend burying, literally, for no less than a decade. Indeed, even two decades seems safe. It should last through 2045+.
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9/8/2018 - bajayngo wrote:
This wine ages forever, love the layers of pretty oak, followed by a melange of dark and red fruit, layers of black tea amd tobacco leaf. Perfect balance with present acids
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9/2/2018 - Ian S wrote:
This half bottle a little more appealing than the half earlier this year. The nose a little oak dominated, but the fruit does shine through the veneer.
Much better balance of flavours on the palate and despite still having quite furry tannins, there is enough stuffing to carry them, plus good length to the finish.
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8/16/2018 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fully mature right out of the bottle. Coconut, vanilla, dust, earth and sour cherry on the nose. On the palate, sour cherry. Slightly unbalanced, with fruit faded. Long finish.
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8/14/2018 - johnnyrichardson Likes this wine: 91 Points
3-hour decant followed by double decant...fairly closed initially, the last third of the bottle finally opened out to what I hope will happen naturally in another five years or so. Oak is there but unobtrusive, everything perfectly in balance, puts most other Reservas to shame!
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8/12/2018 - WhatsSamSipping Likes this wine:
Opened two hours prior to pouring. The fruit was vivid and fresh. Still a young wine but quenching as all getup! As the night went on and on days two and three the wine showed more musk and drier fruit.
As a primary wine it is very enjoyable. If you're looking for tertiary notes there is still a lot of time between now and then.
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7/30/2018 - Pfleonard Likes this wine: 93 Points
They just don't make much wine like this anymore. They being everyone else. Don't make being unfortunately. This is a wine you bring out when most people at the table are eating a hearty meal, celebrating something, appreciate fine wine, or in my case all of the above. Lovely.
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7/28/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
tasted blind.
browned burgundy color.
Nose kirsch, candied fruit.
Palate tart cherries, light herbal tomato, rippling texture; hint of tannins on finish. Tastes mature though given the track record would seem to have a lot of upside. Good complexity. 92 pts
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7/21/2018 - Tom Warden Likes this wine: 91 Points
Savory tea + some fruit
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7/9/2018 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
Studied over four days. Pulled the cork, poured a few ounces, tasted, and promptly recorked. This pour was somewhat wasted, as even after an hour in the glass the wine's reticence and palate-scouring acids made the tasting experience on this day 'scientifically' informative, if less than pleasurable. Far more approachable on the second day, suggesting an eight to ten hour decant would not be excessive if drinking now. True to style, which it expressed with power and verve, including prominent notes of fresh herbs, hard red clay, cured meats, and umami. The least attractive facet of quality Rioja to this palate (why Rioja remains interesting, yet something less than appealing), the dried urea element (an apparent amalgam of the oxidative style, oak aging (dill), and terroir imparted essences), also showed prominently on this day. The wine made its mark on the third and fourth days. The red fruit, clay, and urea notes receded into a layered red and purple berry driven framework of earth, spices (including hints of cayenne), cured ham, and umami, all partially oak imparted. (This is the second least pleasing element of Rioja: wood imparted complexity, which comes off as intentionally manipulated. This aside, the oak imparted depth of Rioja certainly intrigues.) On the whole, I found this bottle as pleasurable as any example I have crossed paths with. Also noteworthy: the wine imparted a striking impression of youth. Far from maturity, and while approachable after a long decant, it will show better in five to seven years. Recommend holding. 93-94.
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6/23/2018 - Vicc3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
N: Fat, dill, vanilj, torkade och svagt mogna körsbär
M: Fat, dill, röd frukt, svagt torkad röd frukt, vanilj, tobak, choklad
Ö: Restaurangköp, Detta vin är en ren njutning!! Bra syra och åldern känns knappast överhuvudtaget i doft och smak. Tanninerna är snygga och fortfarande väldigt pigga. Eftersmaken är väldigt balanserad och extremt lång. Detta vin har ett långt liv framför sig men njuts helt perfekt för tillfället. Kommer komma tillbaka till denna fler gånger!!
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6/19/2018 - curtr Likes this wine: 92 Points
A Rioja with very good character. At a good place now, with at least 8-10 more years of good drinking ahead.
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6/15/2018 - csnyder612 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fresh bright red fruit on the palate. Firm but round tanins. No sediment. Medium body and medium plus acidity. Decanted more than an hour and drank over a period of three hours. It never seemed to open up aromatically or flavorally. I'm not sure if it's too young (just entering drinking window) or if it's just not as complex as I anticipated. Two more bottles... I'll sit on them for a year and see what happens. I'm going to stick with Grand Reserve in the future.
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6/10/2018 - ve23 Likes this wine: 92 Points
92+/100
Red fruits, a bit of menthol, damp first floor. Cherry palate with a bit itchy tannin.
Tondonia serves as great small bottle treat. I should stock up more.
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6/7/2018 - maxima wrote: 88 Points
Un peu tertiare et boisé, long et terreux. Bien!
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6/3/2018 - Vine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just delicious - near it's peak. I have two bottles left - 1 I will pair with a 2004 Leoville Barton and 1 I will pair with a 2004 Montrose just for fun. I think they will perform well. Excellent stuff. I love this producer.
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5/15/2018 - theronware wrote: 91 Points
This was lovely, really settled down since my last bottle a year ago. It has slight bricking at the edges. Otherwise, it has that uncompromising Heredia spine of taut acidity, along with a wonderful ferrous/bloody meat quality that accompanies the cherry and tobacco notes. Dynamite when paired with a strongly flavored tomato/anchovy/rosemary dish. I had been going to load up on more 2005 but this 2004 is rounding into something special.
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5/12/2018 - sooper65 wrote: 85 Points
Disjointed, flat, dreary.
Very disappointing
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4/28/2018 - Skrutt (Formerly RotHead) Likes this wine: 88 Points
A polished wine which for me has a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but not much character. Disclaimer: not privy to the greatness of rioja, never have been.
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4/22/2018 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 93 Points
From half bottle, cellar stored. Beautiful nose: crushed black cherries, wet slate, iron dust, tobacco, bitter chocolate. These all carry through on the palate, with more warm food friendly spices: cinammon, star anise, allspice. I drank this with braised chicken thighs, I opened another half bottle to add a cup to the braising liquid, with cinammon stick, shittake mushrooms, ginger slices, and buckwheat honey roasted parsnip chunks. Yummy.
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4/19/2018 - bsycheng80hk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black Fruits, oaky and complex, acidic and strong structure, good purity, will benefit from age
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4/11/2018 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 91 Points
Pnp; Showed great at dinner (Paired with lamb), felt a little more balanced than bottle opened this past December. A little dried orange peel, some spanish spicy-ness, dried cherry, great acidity which made this very versatile with food. Tannin was balanced and soft, body was medium, not a show stopper by any means but a very nice Rioja. Given the price point this is an easy opener that is ready to go.
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4/9/2018 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Our second in two months, and once again, Ohne-Musik’s note is apt for us. Beautiful and thoughtful savory complexity. It completely outshone a 2010 BV Private Reserve, and was the preferred red of the dinner party.
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4/7/2018 - ohne_musik wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with the Davids (Home): Pop and Poured. This was a great bottle - much more ready for action than the previous bottle. Classic Tondonia profile - elegant red cherry, orange spice, uncured tobacco, cedar, a touch of dill, and a bit of barnyard funk. Grippy tannins still.
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4/6/2018 - COWineLover wrote: 92 Points
Consumed from a 375 at Bourbons steakhouse in Glendale, CA. Agree with Deux and recent reviews. Savory, balanced acidity and tannin, pepper notes, orange peel, bright cherry, and a lengthy finish. Well done.
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4/6/2018 - Paul D wrote:
At Sagardi, with Andrew and Fletcher. No formal note. Pale/medium garnet. Gentle dark fruit, tobacco, firmish tannins, fresh acidity, leanish, needs time to soften and fill out.
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4/5/2018 - moany rhoney wrote: 91 Points
good full flavoured Rioja. A structured wine with deep berry notes and long finish. High quality and drinking al be it no real secondary flavours at the moment.
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4/4/2018 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group EEE #069: Spain; Rioja (@ EO): The bouquet is a bit locked but shows dark berries, leather and herbs. On the palate red and dark berries, leather, some chocolate, firm and juicy acidity and slightly drying tannin. Already a pleasure and will probably show more finesse around 2025 and last several years after that. (Now I see that this is my second blind note about this wine this year.)
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4/1/2018 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote: 90 Points
Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah
Drunk over three days. Clear, deep ruby color. Clean, medium+ intense, youthful-developing nose of a classic Rioja with some nice red fruit, hints of tobacco, smoke, some barn and an astonishing freshness. Medium complex and nice.
Bone dry, with a high acidity that gives this wine a beautiful liveliness. I consider it well integrated, but it is borderline. Soft, medium+ tannin and 13% abv. On the palate lots of red fruit (cherries), spices, fine oak and tobacco. Medium finish. Balanced and lively on the palate, still young. 90-91. Good PQR.
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3/27/2018 - chablis28 wrote: 90 Points
I do think there is bottle variation with Lopez Heredia. Not as good a btl as 9 days ago but still tasty.
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3/25/2018 - DFBW Likes this wine: 89 Points
5-way Rioja tasting with 2009 Prado Enea, 2005 Rioja Alta GR, 2007 Ardanza and 2011 Muga Seleccion Especial. To everyone's surprise this wine came last and was deemed to not have as much fruit as the other and even tasted a little thin in comparison. Felt like the youngest but was actually the oldest.
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3/18/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Rhones and More at Jimmy's (Jimmy's Place, Mpls): Medium dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. Drank this side by side with the '04 Bosconia Reserva. The Tondonia stood out tonight. Much more expressive and developed on the nose and palate. Very nice aromatic nose of crushed spices, cigar, red raspberry, dill, and a savory roasted meat note. The palate offers a similar mixture, bigger with more depth than the Bosconia, a bit vegetal at times, but I like the pretty red fruits here. This bottle was much more developed than one just 4 months ago.
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3/18/2018 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
Nice to have this side by side with the Bosconia as it was clearly more open for business tonight. The oak felt much more in step with the wine's age and only serving to help the whole. Classic aromas of red fruit, spice, leather and cigar box notes. The palate is a refined and elegant mix of cherry, raspberry, spice, herbs and mineral. This btl had excellent balance and depth and weightless elegance. Drinking great and worth owning some of these.
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3/11/2018 - Arturoonwine wrote: 89 Points
This is not one of their best efforts. the Ph seems low and the Acidity too high for a great bottle. Not nearly ready, it shows far better after 24 hours, but the trim body and high acids do it no favors. Please uncork in the morning if you're consuming tonight. If you're contemplating purchases, i'd pass on this one. A bit of a disappointment.
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3/11/2018 - vespasian wrote:
Ruby core showing a reasonable fade at the rim; closed on the nose - some delicate red spectrum fruits coming through. Touch of spice; good balance between the oak on the fruit on the palate. Nice refreshing acidity as well. Good structure and support from the oak, though it does begin to dominate on the finish. I wouldn't hold onto to this any longer.
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3/7/2018 - CWilliam wrote:
Needs time - I usually love this wine, whether the Reserva or the Gran Reserva. This bottle looked younger than an '04 and the fruit profile was darker / more primary than I would have expected. 90+/-
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3/6/2018 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Crimson core with rusty rim; pretty nose, rose petals, slight American oak, spice, herbs, sour cherry and strawberry; vanilla mixed with cherry and strawberries, cranberry, tea, high acid finish, drive, slight burnt orange, cherry pit, tart and taut; people in Nebbiolo and Burgundy, mine; tasty with more time ahead of it.
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2/28/2018 - JohnnyBark wrote:
I absolutely love this wine. Such a great value and just pure delicious. I’ve had a ‘76 Lopez two years ago, and it was a total badass. I have a lot of respect for a wine of this price being so delicious, with a rich ragu spaghetti. Worth every penny. Enjoy now, or drink in many moons. Plus I’m watching The Wizard of Oz, which pairs well with Rioja.
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2/21/2018 - Ian S wrote:
Clearly very young and this is more about the oak today, than what sits behind it. That said, it enjoyable and balanced (but if coconut oak is turn off then wait a good few years) with a silky texture yet not bereft of acidity.
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2/18/2018 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
From 375ml in restaurant. Quite nice. Aromatics have developed and oak notes mostly integrated with the fruit. Fresh and lively on the palate. Very much enjoyed.
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2/17/2018 - M.Y. Chong wrote:
Didn't show as well as a few months ago? Off bottle? Bottle variation? Will give it benefit of the doubt.
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2/16/2018 - LopedeAguirre Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully, great balance and complexity. Some fruit, little minerality, but a lot of weight and depth.
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2/11/2018 - Wine Ratings Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well developed, but still drinking quite fresh - all the ripe, spicy, leathery goodness you would want. Tondonia: practically synonymous with Rioja, it seems! Known for exceptional aging potential (see Faustino - crazy value on well drinking back vintages), it almost felt like it was a bit of a crime to open this bottle even at 14 years. Fortunately back vintages of Tondonia are relatively easy to come by for decent prices - all the more reason to drink up and enjoy! This bottle was representation to a tee. Red currant, forest berries, red/black cherry, and sweet spice were all immediately notable, along with the typical dose of oak that took a few minutes to even out. Plenty of licorice, wood spice, and tobacco came through, combined with earthiness and touches of brown sugar. Mushroom and leather gave hints at the wine’s age, but not overly so - even on day 3 the wine hadn’t budged too far, showing that it still has plenty of life left in it. A still robust structured furthered that notion. It’s hard not to be constantly impressed by the QPR you can get from Rioja (and Spain in general), particularly when you consider the aging requirements before the bottles are even released. Yes, this may not be a small production, boutique kind of wine, but damn if it isn’t well made and incredibly tasty! Always a buy for me.
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2/11/2018 - gotsha wrote: 91 Points
Very enjoyable for family pre valentine’s day dinner
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2/10/2018 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Eric S’s note below from Jan 23 of this year is apt for us. Extremely enjoyable over three nights. We purchased more.
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2/4/2018 - Saxman1984 wrote:
Lovely classic rioja Give it an hour or two to open up It probably would benefit from a few more years for the tannins to fully resolve. However, don't let that stop you from enjoying this wine today. A nice steak will offset the tannins just fine.
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1/27/2018 - KVM wrote:
Dark red. Fruit is primary and the oak has not mellowed. Good and full,of promise.
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1/27/2018 - T.E.D. wrote: 90 Points
My fourth bottle in a year. Still a youngin with classic cherry, oak, orange peel and leather. Still a bit tight one can argue with a firm palate and a short finish. Will go for many years.
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1/23/2018 - Eric.S Likes this wine:
Cherry, leather, tobacco, strawberry, vanilla, orange peel, spices, smoky bourbon/caramel (presumably an oak signature, no alcoholic heat to speak of), raw beef. Super exotic and perfumed, I was caught off guard by how open this is today. Umm yeah I only bought three and those will be gone in no time! Need to stock up.
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1/20/2018 - R J Lewis Likes this wine:
Colour: Clear, medium, ruby
Nose: Clean, Medium +, primary notes of red fruit (cherry), secondary notes from oak ageing (clove)
Palate: dry, high acidity, medium + fine-grained tannin, medium alcohol, medium + flavour intensity, medium + body. Primary flavours of red fruit (cherry, red plum); Secondary notes of vanilla,light notes of coffee; Tertiary notes of wet leaf and savoury.
Medium + finish.
Very good quality.
Can drink now but has potential for further ageing.
Pnp: Very classic, slightly austere notes but I think this will open up.
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1/16/2018 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #025 Rioja (By MN): In the bouquet dark berries and green herbs. On the palate red berries and some dark berries as well, a bit rusty, a lot of acidity and sticky tannin. The most classical wine of the flight and it has elegance as well. Good future; 2030+ probably.
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1/13/2018 - Cognacblanc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Plum dark chocolate and dark berries.
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1/13/2018 - perisolb Likes this wine:
Wood and Christmas spice on the nose. Lots of tannins, medium acidity. Blackcurrant, cherries, some of the aromas from the nose. Elegant, but I found it a bit mute at this stage and the tannins dominate. I think it might be a bit young.
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1/10/2018 - Varchas wrote: 92 Points
Bit of a weird experience with this. First tasted at the winery in 2016 on a 95 degree day — hated it but I think it was the weather (tasted outside). Ended up buying some Bosconia which tasted much better.
Accessed two different glasses via Coravin over a 2 week period recently and both were super vanilla/oak heavy to the point where I almost couldn’t tolerate it. Surprising given that I generally think Lopez Heredia is very deft with their oak usage. Time in the glass made it slightly better where I got more of the strawberry/balsamic flavor but didn’t leave me wanting any more than the one glass.
Tonight I decided to just open the remaining bottle and drink out of a Zalto — the difference was astounding. Not sure if the Coravin access “aged” it a bit to let the oak become less prominent but it was extremely pure and true to the other reviews here and professional. Lots of strawberry, balsamic, herbs, woodsmoke — really enjoyable to the point that I didn’t want to put it down.
I own a good amount of Bosconia from this vintage which I still prefer slgihtly but I might seek this out also and start drinking 2-4 years from now — really proof that Lopez Heredia knows what it’s doing in every vintage.
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1/5/2018 - Wine Canuck wrote: 91 Points
Second bottle of this consumed. Served at a very cool temperature, decanted, then allowed to rise to a cool room temperature. This pours quite light and transparent, with virtually zero bricking. The nose remains quite mute, wafting hints of strawberry, sage, orange peel, vanilla, and a touch of VA. I actually like the palate quite a lot more than the nose. Very fresh and alive. Bright sweet red fruit, orange peel and moderate tannin. The finish is fairly lengthy.
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12/28/2017 - Soteriologist Likes this wine: 93 Points
First Private Budget Red Quaffer Re-Buy Contest Marathon; 9/1/2017-2/13/2018 (At Home): Observed over 3 out of 4 days with no deterioration to the last sip. Majestic transparent ruby with black shadows. Rim fading only slightly. Legs pretty swift. Nose of strawberry, juniper berry, mushroom soil, leather, reserved coffee powder and nobly discreet vanilla. Palate (and this is the convincing part to me) of a lifted singing red and black forest berry fruit perfectly balanced against the acidity and the drying tannins to produce a single complex “forest floor” taste, bathing in, again, that nobly discreet vanilla. That palate really took off on the last day, so I assume this has a lot of future in it and would be almost a waste to consume now. Clean, straight and clear are keywords, and one needs to be reminded that “complex” has nothing to do with “complicated”. The many has become one. As it is a 92-93, but it should ascend a little further.
On the other hand I get not so much less enjoyment from wines a little cheaper. So to me a wine like this makes sense only if you have a really good cellar to mature it well beyond this.
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12/19/2017 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 90 Points
90+
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12/18/2017 - Vinomane wrote:
What a difference from December 2014. Then, awkward and incoherent. Now, putting on the character of a top-end Rioja tinto, broad and deep, mushroom soup and fresh horse, an endless bottom with forever in hand. Bought a case that should have been two. Today (92) looking to (94).
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12/18/2017 - mye Likes this wine: 91 Points
So different than a bottle tasted in 2016.
Secondary characteristics starting to develop. Certainly still young, full of structure and acidity. Great to sip or to pair with food. Delish.
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12/13/2017 - tanguero8 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Smooth and nicely aged. While I frequently have red wines with robust shellfish dishes, this one gave a very unpleasant metallic taste with that combination (but not otherwise) so stick to meats with this wine.
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12/13/2017 - Amishdesai93 Likes this wine:
Vanilla and dried berry, well balanced and not overly acidic, red berries sneak through while not initially noticed on the nose. Light on the palate. Noticeable tannins.
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12/10/2017 - plvnst Likes this wine: 92 Points
indrukwekkende, ouderwetse complexiteit. er is nog steeds primair fruit, met secundaire toetsen, afgewerkt door tertiaire aroma's. ronduit verbluffende wijn, zij het ietwat ouderwets. zeer lekker!
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12/9/2017 - R Z Likes this wine: 92 Points
Serious, structured, traditional Rioja, from the great 2004 vintage, tasted from a half bottle. Had favorable reflections of a fine Bordeaux.
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12/3/2017 - Kevinmfranklin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Have had a few bottles of this wine. It was recommended to me by k&l staff And also came as part of a heirloom cafe wine club
Overall very happy - classic Rioja style, reasonably balanced with a bit of pepper and medium finish. Not hunting for it for my cellar but would order at a restaurant if I stumbled across it.
Drinking well now could probably also age 5 more years
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11/28/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tastes like a prototype of "traditional Rioja." Soft, medium ripe, and moderately extracted with an acidic spine reminiscent of orange zest and balsamic vinegar. Accents of licorice, tobacco, and pencil lead. Long finish of citrus and light tannins. Complex and elegant.
I think it would be pretty easy to pick this out as traditional Rioja in blind tasting. This is due to the distinctive style, not anything intrinsic in tempranillo or Rioja.
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11/27/2017 - gris Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just entering its drinking window which JG sees stretching out to 2040. Bright, red fruit with tons of acidity. Took a while to flesh out...needed double decanting and probably more time in a decanter to really open up. A touch of sweet oak perhaps. Good structure and zip make this one ready for the long haul, but that is just beginning.....
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11/18/2017 - VenturePlanet Likes this wine: 90 Points
Hello, Rioja! Fabulous spice - cinnamon, toasted coconut, cherry, leather and fresh tobacco. Med body, med+ acidity. Color is ruby. Palate leaves a gentle smokiness, lasting finish. Indeed, a great pairing with jamon. This has potential for additional layers down the road.
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11/14/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Classic rioja. This wine offers balsamic savoriness with accents of cigar-box and sandalwood. The finish is tangy and long.
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11/13/2017 - bsouligny Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beau nez exuberant de cassis,terre,bois et fougere,en bouche acidité vive,tannins legerement assechants,notes de balsamique,ecorces d oranges,un peu de fruits rougesb finale longue sur l ecorce d orange et balsamique.
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11/11/2017 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank from magnum. Lovely wine with good spice and structure.
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11/11/2017 - rocknroller wrote:
Ribs and Big Reds (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Dark red color. PNP, followed one glass over 3 hours plus. Drank this side by side with an '04 Bosconia Reserva. Both had issues, but he Tondonia was in a bit better place. Tight, cedarbox, a bit of earthiness, cherry, cherry lacquer fruit. On the palate, cherry, cherry lacquer, wood, lots of wood, a sharp, nice dusty tannins though. Seems like the wood takes over with more glass time. Needs several years. Preferred tonight. Score reserved.
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11/10/2017 - martijnkriens wrote: 92 Points
Excellent Rioja in an elegant style. Strong and structured with, for Rioja, fairly smooth tannins. Deep layered berry flavour. The 2004 is still quite young to drink in 2017 and will definitely improve for the next 6 to 10 years.
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11/4/2017 - M.Y. Chong Likes this wine:
Lovely Rioja. Best bottle of Rioja I have encountered. Very retrospective tasting note but the notes of vanilla and cured meat were unforgettable.
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10/29/2017 - Bourgognefreak wrote: 90 Points
From Magnum. Without being as precise as other Tondonia this is still a satisfying glass showing warmth, good balance, vanilla and spices you find in Rioja.
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10/23/2017 - chatters wrote:
Decanted for 30 minutes then consumed over 2 hours. Initially it's a little awkward; sour cherries married to fresh tobacco leaf with a lick of vanilla and some hot spice but, with time, the wine softens and balances, the fruit becomes riper and the texture more creamy. A puppy. I really should stop opening these.
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10/22/2017 - PeterFromThePan wrote: 89 Points
I had high hopes for this one but ended up somewhat disappointed. When first opened, I thought the wine was too fruit forward with a little too much sugar. I also got flavors of leather and raisins. The color had a brown tint to it, as you can expect from its age. I can see that it has ageing potential left which may mellow out the fruit a bit ... just not sure it’s going to be exceptional. I also thought that the wine didn’t have enough body ... it was too light. In short: meh.
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10/19/2017 - MicklethePickle wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured. Clearly needs time and air to pull together. Right now it has quite a dill component, especially in the nose. I’m betting this is awesome by tomorrow night, when I will complete this note. 24 hours later, the dill has largely disappeared, but the wine is only good rather than great. Has good grip and a gritty texture, earthy, leathery nose, and a similar palate, on the rustic side. This is fully mature, but not past prime in my opinion. Color is a rich dark ruby, with a rusty rim, and that that is probably its best feature, appearance. But not all wines can be great. 5-10-15-7: 87/100.
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10/17/2017 - poste244 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Encore d'un beau rouge cerise. Quelques notes tertiaires de prune au nez. La bouche est pourtant encore vive, sur la cerise rouge. Le bois et les tanins sont bien intégrés. Délicieux, et cette bouteille m'a semblé prête à boire.
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10/17/2017 - Pj28 wrote:
Drank at SOB Kata Rocks- great wine- huge length, aged character, but still plenty of life- a great Rioja
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10/15/2017 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 90 Points
Probably too young, although this is from a 0,375 bottle and is 2 days opened. It has everything but gravitas of age. Sure it will get better, but I wonder if I will buy more. Generic somehow...
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10/13/2017 - T.E.D. wrote: 90 Points
My third bottle this year and exactly the same as previous. Tart and lean cherry, notes of citrus peel, spice and some oak. Again as classic as it comes. Will certainly improve with age yet still delicious today with some air. As always a great qpr at $35.
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10/1/2017 - rc@ughey wrote: 89 Points
Classic LdH nose of cherries, clove, earth, and mild oak. Palate is open-knit with tobacco and crunchy fruits, but it's also a bit oaky and could use a touch more mid-palate oomph. Still, it's lovely and balanced and has much of what I love about LdH. This will improve.
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9/25/2017 - djarcara Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic Rioja! Medium body. Some bricking. Cassis, dark cherry, leather, and cedar on the palette. Restrained fruit, but nicely balanced with a firm acidity and medium tannins. This still has a lot of life left in it. Probably has a good 10 years to go. Great value. If Bordeaux, it would cost twice as much.
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9/24/2017 - WineKnurd Likes this wine: 95 Points
Expressive nose- cherry and floral notes with anise, vanilla, toast, and cedar spice all intermingled. Immediate impressed by the balance of fruit and earth- black cherries, tart black currants, red plums, tomato paste, tobacco, with hints of black tea and an iron-metallic note. Darker profile than the 2003 but still bright with a rustic edge that smooths out across the palate as the tannins kick in. Acidity and tannins play their part perfectly and the oak adds complexity rather than detract. Wish list includes a bit more intensity but a top tier effort (A, 93) and a steal at the JJB price of $29.99 (A+, 99), for an overall evaluation of A (95).
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9/13/2017 - JKelly05 wrote:
Brick red oxidative edges.
Musty and rustic.
Blue cheese, cedar closet, tobacco, cigar, old leather.
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9/10/2017 - swlevison Likes this wine: 90 Points
We drank this wine the evening before and left some for the next day to re-taste. After 24 hours we experienced the following: The nose has sweet tobacco, raspberry jam, blood orange, allspice black pepper and young leather. On the palate, we were struck by the high acidity, medium tannins, and flavors of elderberry, blackberries, cherries and orange rind. It has a long finish with tobacco, rubber and black pepper.
The same evening that we drank this 2004 our friends shared a 1981 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia with us. By comparison, the 2004 was clearly too young and will benefit from another 10+ years in the bottle. The 1981 still had lots of fruit, it was so round and smooth and the flavors were all nicely integrated.
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9/3/2017 - Ellenkf wrote: 88 Points
When I removed the foil, the cork was wet on one side. I was disappointed by this bottle after having enjoyed many other vintages of Tondonia. Brownish brick color and aromas of dried red and black fruits. Very dusty on the palate, plenty of earth, tobacco, some dill, and deep stewed and dried fruits. Much older vintages have shown more freshness, so I'm hopeful that the other bottle in my cellar is more typical, that the wet cork was an indication that oxidation was the culprit.
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9/3/2017 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hrs. While I think the food and wine pairing aspect of this cash draining hobby gets over played, this was a terrific exhibit of how the two can work in unison, elevating each other to a much higher plane. A home made SW steak salad on the dinner plate brought out a whole new demension of flavor on the palate, that unique cherry / tobacco / spice spectrum that only old school Tempranillo wine can carry. Very spry acidity keeps this so fresh. God I love these R. Lopez wines!
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9/2/2017 - Balthasar Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose offers blackberries, orange peel, herbs, smoke and hints of vanilla. Palate reflects the nose and is added by typical Tondonia freshness and elegance. This wine doesn't make you tired. Has all elements for further development and gaining even more complexity.
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9/2/2017 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
Gave it double decant to open it up a little
Absolutely delicious tobacco and leather lots of bruised strawberry fruit
Slightly acetic edge
Showing really well now though will last for ever
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8/26/2017 - D1Harris1 wrote: 89 Points
Still somewhat primary. Love the house style, fresh and distinguished at the same time. Cigar box, red cherry, spring flower and balsam. Not profound, but great QPR at $30.
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8/22/2017 - lightning wrote: 92 Points
From a half bottle. 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo 10%. 13% ABV.
Garnet translucent core, a tinge of brick towards the rim. Seductive red berries, spice, a fine hint of vanilla that melds beautifully and does not protrude; medium bodied and elegant with a consistent raspberry acidity from the outset, a touch of grip on the midpalate.
After a couple of hours, some dark berries and smoke notes emerge on the nose, and the wine has a bit more presence in the mouth, some graphite, dried herbs and liqueur cherry in addition to sour cherry acidity, fine-boned lingering tannins. Recommended to open this a couple of hours ahead of time. Wonderful, multifaceted wine.
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8/16/2017 - wineordeath Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sweet dark berry fruit, subtle chocolate, coffee grounds and menthol on the nose. Lovely sweet berry fruit on the palate. Very good
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8/11/2017 - dtm23 wrote:
V good last day at RMAS
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8/10/2017 - JWdeSommelier wrote: 89 Points
Traditional style Rioja, quite a nice nose, fresh red cherries, redcurrants, plums, nicely integrated oak, sandalwood, leather, iron. Palate feels a little bit tired and thin for a good vintage like '04, dried red fruit, not very broad, meaty, lovely oak, spicy, good length. Expected more from a Rioja like this, is it time or just the way this wine is made...
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8/4/2017 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Complex evolving nose of wild strawberries, tobacco, rose petals, and sunbaked heath. Ethereal sweet fruit on the palate, dry with a memory of richness, firm integrated tannins moving into a graceful acid finish. A graceful aged wine, would be excellent with cheese on toast. 50 + 17 + 16 + 9 = 92.
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8/1/2017 - christyler Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mature but still quite young. No noticeable oak on the nose, but it comes across nicely on the palate. Thick and dark but still has great acidity and lift.
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7/20/2017 - MWiking wrote: 92 Points
väldigt gott och fräsch Rioja i min stil
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7/18/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $60+ (Alpharetta, GA): See through crimson with light orange rim; sweet almost confected cherry, some oak polish, roses; sweet on palate, fleshy, liqueur cherry, easy tannin, sour cherry, very red fruit, tasty; everyone on elegant Italian (Sangiovese); oak never made sense but well done, delicious.
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7/7/2017 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 94 Points
2004 R. LOPEZ de HEREDIA VINA TONDONIA RESERVA RIOJA- this was an outstanding bottle giving up wonderful vanilla, spicy dried red fruit along with a medium to full body and a soft, tantalising texture which was silky smooth and so easy on the palate; this gave it an element of elegance, yet the wine possessed some thrust with firm tannins; as history would suggest, this will evolve toward maturity for many years to come; nicely balanced, it is a blend of Tempranillo, Grenacha, Graciano and Mazuela.
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7/5/2017 - AJG91 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Klassinen rioja, kirsikkaa, tupakkaa, viikunaa ja tummaa suklaatakin. Todella hapokas ja ryhdikkään tanniininen, mutta muutaman tunnin pullodekantointi pehmentää hyvin. Aluksi maistui turpeelta ja vähän säikähdin onkohan viini kunnossa, mutta vaatii tosiaan n. 30 min jotta turpeen haju väistyy. Nuori ja sietää edelleen kypsytystä, mutta tosi hauska juotava jo nyt. Hinta kohtuullinen 25-30 e.
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6/25/2017 - Peter Kleban Likes this wine:
** (plus)
Classic Rioja nose with strong tobacco notes. Opens a bit acid, but settles down. Very interesting and compelling. Compared to the 2003 it’s richer and stronger, but still a bit young. Great length and balance. Held up well on the counter for a day.
Another bottle 2/19/18:
Decanted an hour or so. No excess acidity this time. Really nice wine, sat two days on the counter with very little change. I really like this!
4/2/18:
From a 375 this time PnP. Consistent, and very nice.
11/1/18:
Another 375. Just gorgeous! Light, elegant and powerful. Two stars plus.
12/19/18:
Another 375, consistent. This is good stuff!
2/22/19:
Full bottle this time. This is just singing! Opened for about 30 min; the aroma filled the room. Lightness, elegance, and power. Just love it.
3/3/19:
Another 375. Just as good.
4/15/20:
A 375. This one was good, but slightly too acid.
5/18/10
Another 375. Very good this time. Held on counter with a Repour, no change.
4/7/21:
Took a few minutes to open up, but then very nice, if slightly too acid.
12/28/21:
Another 375. Very nice this time, fully mature.
2/4/22:
A 750. On the too acid side, unfortunately. Good, but not what it could be. This wine has lots of bottle variation, it seems.
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6/25/2017 - bushrandall Likes this wine:
Ruby color. Smells like bing cherry, tart red fruits, tobacco, concrete, hay. Medium body that builds with air. Flavors of cranberry, cherry, orange zest, and a dry wood, almost mesquite-like flavor. The tannin is still notable here, but it lends the wine a classic character.
Agreed that this wine could cellar for another 5+ years. But it's a lot of fun to drink now--just decant for at least an hour.
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6/25/2017 - bjamesclark wrote: 90 Points
Dark brick red and mostly opaque through the core.
Decanted
Slightly shy on the nose with moderate intensity. Aromas detected show dried cranberry, dried cherry and plum aromas that weave neatly into scents of leather, dried rose petal, tea, and tobacco with notes of earth and sous bois that show hints of black pepper and inter tube.
The palate is moderate and showing nice acid structure, though at this point restrained in its fruit profile. Dried cherries and cranberries incorporate notes of plum skin and blood orange, leather, tobacco and forrest floor with traces of coffee, pepper and tea. The finish lingers with smooth tannins.
75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. 6 years in American oak barrel; 5 in bottle.
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6/24/2017 - scott w Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum no fading at the rim, no browning. Delicious cherry/dark cherry and a little dustiness, silky on the palate balanced acid and sufficient tannin. A delicious bottle.
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6/21/2017 - KVM wrote:
Medium to dark red with thin mahogany rim. Cherry, airy, black fruit liqueur nose. Initially rich cherry fruit that fades to a woody, slightly dry finish. Light body, classic Rioja.
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6/20/2017 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 92 Points
Family trip to Rioja - June 2017; 6/20/2017-6/26/2017 (Rioja): Tawny rim. Cream of Tomato soup aromas, leather. Creamy mouthfeel. Very savory and a lovely acidic spine. Can surely last longer but the basic elements are well integrated. Delicious and glorious drinkability right now.
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6/18/2017 - ricard Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very good vintage of a very good wine. Graceful ageing going on, visibly and on the nose. Notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Figs and damson jam. Instant hit of a bright, assertive acidity on the tongue. Still tightly held together by firm tannins, but at its heart a velvety, fruity mid-palate leading to a splendidly spicy, clove and black crushed pepper finish. Very good indeed. Such a classic wine. Also chocolate and figs.
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6/8/2017 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Shy nose of wild aromatic strawberries, tobacco, and undergrowth. Penetrating clear red fruit on the palate with strong but integrated tannins and woven filigree of acid. A wine where every element is different with its own special character, yet everything fits together in jumbled harmonious way. Sort of like tapas. 50 + 16 + 16 + 8 = 90.
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6/3/2017 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 94 Points
Medium garnet color turning orange rust at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose gives off perfumed orange peel on red and black fruits with leather and smoke. The palate is medium bodied with a silky texture (albeit there are still some tannins to resolve). Flavors of iron filings, tobacco, scorched earth, meat, red cherry and licorice. Still youthful at this stage with vibrant acidity. Finishes long and lifted with hints of orange zest. Drink now with a 2-hr decant or better from 2019 to 2034
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5/30/2017 - wgmccallum wrote: 89 Points
Dusky ruby. Shy aroma of dry wood with a hint of blackberry. Intense intertwining of vibrant acid, puckering tannins and sinewy fruit on the palate. Expecting this would be wonderful with serrano ham and salty olives. 50 + 15 + 16 + 8 = 89.
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5/30/2017 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic Rioja with floral tinged red fruit and gorgeous cured tobacco. Fragrant, yet quite tightly wound. This needs hours and hours in the decanter to open things up and let the acidity calm down; it becomes soft and supple when it does. Lovely.
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5/22/2017 - brigcampbell wrote:
Very surprised by the looks of this wine as it seems to be aging quickly based on the color. Washed out Crimson color and brick around the edges. Light cherry and Woody note. Very typical of classic Rioja style. Good.
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5/21/2017 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Brown spice and dill on the aromatic. Browning at the edges, with cedar and dark muddled cherry flavors.
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5/20/2017 - BornToRhone Likes this wine: 92 Points
750ml; PnP; Transparent medium garnet with obvious bricking and light-medium weight. Aromas of cherry, strawberry, baking spices, barnyard hints. Huge tart cherry flavors with cinnamon spice, red dirt and leather with good acidity. Good lengthy finish. This is crazy good for $40! I bought the 3 bottles on the shelf and will go back next week looking for more!
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5/16/2017 - vespasian wrote:
Showing some definite age at the rim; rich fruit and spicy leather notes on the nose. A strong oak element here. Pretty classic Rioja on the nose; a touch of old wood on the front palate - strong clove and oak flavours. some distinctive quality fruit coming through also. One for the fans - not bad. Good length.
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5/10/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Youthful and ready to drink out of the bottle. It gained some weight as the evening wore on. Well balanced and fairly simple.
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5/10/2017 - Bandreas wrote:
Carmine red color with touches of brick at the edge.
On the nose: cedar, graphite and leather.
On the palate it is quite smooth with a touch of grainy tannins and some chocolate notes.
Pretty classic, smooth old Rioja style profile; for my taste almost too smooth and easy.. Not very complex.
Normally I am looking for more "nooks and crannies" in a wine.
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5/2/2017 - AudunG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely, intense and sharp aromas of red berries, mushrooms and old barrels. Intense, tart and smooth in the mouth. Fine tannins, concentrated and persistent. Appears as a cooler wine than the 2001.
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4/30/2017 - Xpis7os Likes this wine: 91 Points
I write this note at the second day of drinking this Rioja. Half bottle remained vacuumed one day in my cellar and the second day was much nicer than the first drink. It presented all aromas and palate notes, some of which were not present the first day. Meaning that it needs much more than 30 minutes decanting, which I did the first day. It is a very smooth and balanced wine. Litle lighter than expected with medium body and not very strong wood and earthy notes expected from a 2004 Reserva. But is very easy drinkable and goes with not heavy meals. Will buy again
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4/29/2017 - Trydebull Likes this wine: 91 Points
Röd-rödbruntonig färg med lätt sherryton i kanterna.
Doftar initialt lada och torkat gräs men fyller på med körsbär, mossa och vår skog.
Smaken ger körsbär, sherry, lite lakritstuggummi, rostad fänkål, och lite smak från övermogna Ingridmarie-äpplen mot slutet. Riojatypisk, lite tunn kanske - men såg också att den öppnade upp sig ordentligt framåt natten. Den bör bli än bättre av mer tid i källare, men jag tror att tio år kan vara väl optimistiskt - åtminstone om flaskan jag öppnade är representativ.
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4/27/2017 - CWilliam wrote: 90 Points
Drank over 4 nights - held up well. This wine is too young in my opinion - Good bottle of wine but not overly complex at this stage in it's development. Dark cherry, black cherry, cranberry on nose & palate with high acidity, medium body and medium+ finish. 90+ today but will improve with bottle age.
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4/26/2017 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 90 Points
A fairly elegant wine at this early stage, but relatively unimpressive for the vintage. Notes of cedar, leather and muted spice, medium weight, a touch savory. Well integrated oak, but flavors should be more pronounced with additional bottle age.
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4/23/2017 - Roystein Likes this wine:
Decanted 4 hrs, but it still seemed closed. Nice dark fruit taste with good tannin balance.
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4/17/2017 - macaujames wrote: 90 Points
This was decanted for about 5 hours but was still a bit closed and unformed like the Bosconia 2004. It had classic aromas of leather, earth, blackberries, vanilla, raspberries and figs. Its medium bodied and austere black fruits palate has nice acidity, but isnt as delineated as the Ardanza which I tasted side by side with this. Ends longish and nicely tannic. Lay down 3-5 years and try again.
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4/15/2017 - WineKnurd Likes this wine:
Pop-n-pour, quick note on the first glass. Classic Rioja aromas- oak spices, black pepper, blackcurrant, cherries, and hints of tomato leaf. Sour cherries and tart blackberries on the palate followed by earthy tobacco finish from the age and tannin. Nice mineral structure. Always a favorite.
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4/15/2017 - Ianthemac Likes this wine: 89 Points
Needs air. Starts off slightly high on acidity but ends up smooth. Slight metallic tinge on the mid palate. Tannins are still evident and a touch drying but I suspect will round nicely. Not sensational, but it's moreish and I like it.
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4/6/2017 - T.E.D. wrote: 90 Points
Similar to my last bottle. Classic aromas of spice box, tart cherry, touches of oak, and orange peel. Palate is lean and well structured with good acid. Classic tart red cherry, toasted oak, orange peel and pith. Well made. Still youthful.
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4/2/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
A private lunch (Restaurant Breda, Amsterdam, NL): Classical style, leathery and spicy, cedar, cool and mineral, slender and elegant in style, medium weight, fresh, complex fruit (red berries, hint of plum), perfectly integrated oak, savoury touch, good intensity and length. It is a solid Rioja, but for some reason I was expecting more from this wine in a great vintage like 2004.
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4/2/2017 - Cikgoo Likes this wine: 90 Points
I prefer the Rioja Alta over this one but it is still drinking fine with a bit acidity to my liking.
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3/31/2017 - bacchus of knockholt wrote: 89 Points
Tasted blind. Ruby and quite pale, aromas were muted although the wine was served on the cool side. With a bit of agitation there was black cherry fruit and then savoury smells of olives, balsamic and tapenade. The black cherry fruit on the palate is actually pretty generous with lots of acidity to balance it out but the tannins are pretty drying and astringent. A lot of power and grip but this wine needs time, it's not melded together yet.
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3/28/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote:
Oak Comparison (Home (Noe st)): Medium minus garnet.
Sweet dried and stewed fruit - black cherry, red cherry. Tamari-soy notes of age. A prickle of possible VA (balsamic).
The oak presents as a sort of higher-toned sweetness, with a prickle of dill pickle chips.
On the palate
- dry
- medium body
- medium alcohol
- high acid (zippier than the '05 M. de Riscal GR)
- medium tannins - rounded with age
Oak presents as a higher-toned sweetness, vanilla, slightly green/woody (dill).
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3/27/2017 - heythatslife wrote: 92 Points
I haven't had Tondonia before, but this definitely has prompted me to seek out more Lopez de Heredia and other old school Riojas like it. Wonderfully complex nose of dill, sour cherries, tar, clove, and leather. A slightly balsamic whiff adds more rustic charm. Vibrant, persistent acidity and long finish. The freshness of this wine has me clamoring for another glass. Obviously still has ways to go before fully maturing, and the drying tannins will likely loosen up over time.
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3/27/2017 - ccn wrote: 89 Points
Had several bottles of this over the last year. A solid wine, mid-weight, but not at the same level of many other vintages of Tondonia GR I've had.
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3/25/2017 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points
A blend of Tempranillo (75%), Garnacha (15%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%). Fermented spontaneously in old oak fermenters, aged in old American oak barriques for 6 years, bottled unfiltered and then aged for further 50 months in bottle. This wine could be easily labeled as Gran Reserva, but R. L. de Heredia chooses not to, because the wines labeled as Gran Reservas are aged even longer. 13% alcohol. Total production 260,000 bottles.
Deep and very slightly translucent black cherry color. Rich, ripe and dark-toned nose, that is still more savory than sweet despite all its obvious ripeness. There are brooding aromas of black cherries, brambly dark berries, some earthy mushroomy character, a little bit of pruney fruit, a hint of old leather jacket and a touch of sweet wood and vanilla-driven spice. The wine is quite ripe and moderately full-bodied on the palate with rather concentrated and dense feel, giving the wine rather imposing, chewy texture. The difference to the lighter and brighter Bosconia Reserva 2004 is quite noticeable here. However, just like the nose, the taste department feels really savory despite the sweetness with lively, dry flavors of fresh blackcurrants and crowberries, sour cherry bitterness, some juicy plummy fruit, a little bit of pipe tobacco, a hint of autumnal earthy character and a subtle hint of of vanilla oak. The mouthfeel is pretty smooth due to the long, slightly oxidative aging, but the structure still remains very tightly-knit and impressively stern with high acidity and quite ample tannins, that however feel more ripe and manicured than angular and aggressive. The finish is rich, juicy and complex with long sweet'n'sour flavors of ripe plummy fruit, sour cherries, some tart cranberries, a little bit of sweet pruney character, a little bit of vanilla oak and a hint of smoky earthiness.
A very wonderful and pretty stern vintage of Tondonia Reserva that shows some obvious sense of ripeness, yet it doesn't really express itself as sweetness of fruit, but instead as a sense of concentration, intensity and breadth of fruit. In this sense this wine is pretty similar to Bosconia Reserva 2004, which was similarly ripe, yet dry, acid-driven and pretty tightly-knit. The biggest difference seems to be in that this wine is even more muscular and although impressive, also a bit dumb and understated. Even a few hours of decanting wasn't enough to unwind the wine fully, but that is not to say this is an underwhelming vintage - on the contrary, this feels more like a vintage that needs another 10 years to show its best. Bosconia Reserva 2004 felt like a long-lived vintage and this does even more so. A spectacular and pretty dead-serious old-school Rioja (Gran) Reserva that is spectacular now and will definitely get only better during the next decade or two. Stunning value at only 22€.
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3/23/2017 - appel54 wrote: 87 Points
Klart mogen färg. Lite grumlig
Initialt lite syrliga röda bär. Efterhand lite mer tobak och ektoner.
Lite snipig. Torr och sträv. Medium+ längd. Känns lite obalanserat i dagsläget.
Hade större förhoppningar på detta vin. Har uppskattat tidigare årgångar mer.
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3/17/2017 - assofisso wrote: 90 Points
At a testing. Garnet colour, aromas of vanilla, tobacco, cherries and blueberries on the nose. On the palate is still lively, tannic and with nice acidity.Well refined, very nice.
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3/13/2017 - mimik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Solid. Nose was closed upon opening but had more caramel and BlackBerry notes as the night went on. Palate was rather tannic and needed a lot more time to open up but it did so on dark cherry, some vanilla and herb notes. 92 for now. Revisit in 5 years from now.
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3/6/2017 - theronware wrote:
Coiled and dense. Color is a deep, full garnet. Nose is savory with a little yeast/marmite overtones which largely blow off. Lots of acid and bright cherries along with leather on the palate. Very fine tannins. This thing is packed with material waiting to unfold. Excellent now but only the merest hint of what this wine will be in the future. Drink or hold, but if you drink, remember you'll enjoy yourself now but kick yourself in the future.
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3/5/2017 - ews3 wrote: 92 Points
black and red fruit, primarily sour cherry and citrus pith. spicy profile, with sweet spice, as well as both black and white pepper. med(+) finish. really solid.
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3/5/2017 - putter520 Likes this wine: 89 Points
More fruit than acid. Odd.
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3/5/2017 - Neecies Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bart's bottle. Ah, now THIS is what I want from Rioja. Just med body, complex spice cake, dried orange peel, dried cherries, well-balanced and complete.
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3/3/2017 - T.E.D. wrote: 90 Points
Does not get any more classic then this. Pure tart cherry, hints of leather, earth, tea leaf, black fruit, rose and tar. Palate is tart and lean, with immediate orange peel, bitter pith, gravel and dry earth coming through along with cherry fruit as expected. Well made but not as complex as Cune Imperial wines.
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2/21/2017 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice spice on the nose. A lighter side of rioja, tannins take sideline to cherries. Some spice, not fruity. Easy to drink this on pnp. It will probably just get calmer without significant improvement on aging. They have at least ten years of aging capability. Went back for three more.
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2/21/2017 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had a glass from an open bottle at the hotel bar on a very quiet Monday evening, so I suspect the wine had seen plenty of air. The very first whiff on the nose seemed a touch oxidative but this dissipated quickly. Great showing then with a very round palate and fine notes of aceto balsamico and earth matching the smooth red and dark. Nice finish.
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2/19/2017 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Still quite young, but lovely classic Rioja. Bing cherry, red currant, dried dill, hints of vanilla, violet, hints of earth, smoke, and orange peel. Initially tight and a touch tart, but with air it improves significantly after about an hour and a half. The palate develops more depth and concentration, but still has tight tannins and taut acidity. I think another 3-5 years will be good for this in bottle, but it is enjoyable now with dinner and decanting.
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2/18/2017 - appel54 wrote: 87 Points
Lite roströd färg, tunnare vid kanten
En hel del viol, lakrits, mycket träiga fattoner, lavendel, järn
Torrt, strävt, bra längd, fylligt och runt, ingen stickande alkohol.
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2/18/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 84 Points
Charcuterie lunch with Tim (Home (Noe st)): Lean, not very aromatic - hints of faded red fruit. Medium bodied, and a bit austere on the palate, with elevated tannins, a bit harsh, and high acidity. Medium alcohol. The oak isn't very prominent on the palate, which is a bit strange considering how much time it spends in (used) American oak.
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2/18/2017 - DanielOsman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bottle #2, some of the other comments have mentioned the leather and tobacco flavours that definitely come across. It has good tannin and acidity, the tannins are a bit grippy to begin but the acidity kicks in and there is a sweetness on the finish that leaves you wanting the next sip. Very enjoyable.
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2/17/2017 - dmam wrote: 92 Points
Bel équilibre. A conservé une belle acidité, et le fût de chêne n'est pas trop marqué.
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2/11/2017 - Tudz Drkl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Spicy, dark fruits and dusty attic on the nose (a bit reticent). Acidity is front and center and the profile grows to a darker blackberry and orange zest finish of a generally mid bodied wine. Carries on for a long time. Second night was consistent with no signs of prune or sherry notes.
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2/6/2017 - ratrop1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Surprisingly enjoyable Rioja, given the mixed tasting notes. Decanted one hour and consumed over the following three. Good color - dark ruby, garnet at the edge. Fairly closed nose of alcohol and cherry fruits, with a dark fruit and leather undertone. Medium bodied. Complex, evolving red fruit flavors, along with tobacco and leather held our interest. The headline news for us - there's enough richness, even a little sweetness, clear through to the finish to balance the undeniable acidity and tannic grip, especially with food. Still an infant, and not a blockbuster. But the balance and stuffing of this wine bode well for it becoming a classic Rioja from a good year.
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2/6/2017 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Tinto is tinting something referring back to when they tinted the white wines with red because once upon a time whites were more popular.
Very expressive on the nose. And this is why the reds always have a little white. Tastes like a really amazing cheddar cheese.
Grapes coming from the round vineyard. Always a blend because of the Bordeaux influence. Never decant, never open ahead I am being told. Just rock it out. And no sediment. Racked twice per year. Four years in barrel and then the rest in bottle.
The wire cage is cork wire and wax.
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2/4/2017 - Jeff W wrote:
Immediately welcoming. Reassuringly old-fashioned. Savoury and earthy. It's hard not to go back for more. vg
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2/1/2017 - jopo001 Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Decanted for 2 hours before drinking, not much on the nose, very faint red berry but not much of anything else. Upon tasting it was very much the same, not much forthcoming on the pallet, mostly get leather, as the wine started to heat up a bit the was some blackcurrent starting to come through but overall quite a disapointing bottle, very closed with not much to give, will try again in 5 years or so.
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2/1/2017 - sebastienjm wrote: 90 Points
Encore assez jeune finalement, toujours du fruit au nez, assez pur avec des fruits rouges, bouche aux tanins patinés et surtout avec une belle acidité en fin de bouche, très bon
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2/1/2017 - sequoiagrove Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had this right after a 45euro st. emiliion, and it was almost siruppy in comparison. The Last tondonia I had was 2001 reserva and this one is the most siruppy tondonia I ever had. very surprising. Here in madrid you can walk in to a supermarket and buy this. It is very hard to find normally. tondonia is one of my favourite wine series, after I tried 1984 grand reserva back in 2000. tondonia is normally a pretty light, ethereal , acidic, yet alluring adventure. This is powerful and spicy, a fat sensation in the mouth.
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1/28/2017 - rodneylbrownjr Likes this wine:
At Olympia Provisions in Portland. Good red fruit and cherry, maybe with some plum or even prune. Leather too. Pretty acidic for an aged wine. Will keep getting better.
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1/21/2017 - hobern wrote: 87 Points
Lite besviken, tycker det saknade komplexitet och inte höll ihop så bra, ganska hög syra.
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1/13/2017 - jonanator wrote:
Lovely nose, lots of red fruit, some spice. It really wasn't giving up much on the palate on this night though. I think it needs some more time to come together. Revisit in 3+. Feels like it has all the right ingredients to come together and make a lovely wine. Time will telll
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1/9/2017 - DrakkarNoir Likes this wine:
Cherries, tobacco, and a hint of coconut/dill on the nose. Medium bodied, with lively acidity and subtle tannins that lurk on the finish. 13% abv.
Drinking alongside the '04 Bosconia (13.5% abv), which is much riper on the nose and a bit flat.
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1/7/2017 - rtewh Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great nose. Hits you as soon as you pull the cork. Smooth dusty first impression with a spicy cherry to finish. Lovely wine.
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1/3/2017 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely nose of dark cherry fruit and fabulous red spices. Succulent and quite ripe with intense dark cherry fruit flavors with hints of sweet vanilla oak and meaty spices. Has a lithe texture with fresh mineral lift and lots of good acidity. This is lovely and drinking well now but could clearly improve with more time in bottle. Double-decanted for 2 hrs.
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12/25/2016 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Classic Rioja with a complex nose of red berry fruit, vanilla, leather, dill, and spice. Palate is young and a touch disjointed but has lots of potential. Nice wine but needs 5-10 years to fully develop.
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12/21/2016 - FrancoisTardif Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really enjoyed this wine. Drank over 2 days. Nice color, very awesome nose. Still young and I agree that it was better on the second day.
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12/14/2016 - bajayngo wrote:
Love this old school wines and was nice to have in a little Spanish tasting. Musk, spicy cured wood, fresh and muddy earth, red fruits, tea, some tannins and good acids.
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12/9/2016 - Sotto325 wrote: 85 Points
Yet another varying bottle, this one at a restaurant. Completely dried out yet not corekd. Plenty of black/cherry color and leather, smoke and a hint of cherry but scant fruit. I would watch these.
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12/8/2016 - Markus IWC wrote: 92 Points
Another encounter with this legendary producer with excellent QPR. Dark crimson red. Elegant nose with cherries, plums, toffees, raspberry/licorice candy, hints of oak and vanilla but far from the usual stuff from Rioja. Slim and elegant mouthfeel, beautiful silky texture, smooth tannins. Lively fruit, still a youngster, no dusty or tired feeling. Develops in the glas, with new layers and aromas. What a masterpiece this is in the price range. Lovely. Drink now our keep in cellar for many years to come. 92p
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11/26/2016 - racerchris Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good, but lacking complexity.
Unimpressive.
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11/23/2016 - VoteferPedro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Gorgeous. Enjoyed as a popnpour. THis is the first of this producer and was a great place to start for me
Light in the glass needed about 30 minutes of air for funk to blow off and a rich woods and cherry nose to come. Palate matched the nose and the finish was clean with moderate length - no rough edges. I found it deeply satisfying and it slipped away quickly with our dinner.
5+12+17+7
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11/19/2016 - jcorona1979 wrote: 86 Points
Not my favorite Tondonia, lacked complexity, aroma was wonderful, from the nose I would have said this was a 96 point wine but it completely falls apart in the palate; it feels watery and the fruit isn't integrated; not my favorite.
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11/13/2016 - Gooka wrote: 90 Points
Not ready yet. Much better on the second day. 90 - 92.
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11/13/2016 - petec-s Likes this wine: 89 Points
slightly over rated, decent and very typical for Tondonia.
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11/13/2016 - Bordeauxman wrote: 88 Points
I had higher expectations. Pleasant nose raspberry and cherry. Taste is a bit thin and lacking backbone.
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11/12/2016 - heidoanddave wrote: 92 Points
Needs a lot more time to integrate.
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11/11/2016 - macliii Likes this wine: 87 Points
This wine really is not as good as expected from my previous bottles from other vintages. It took sometime for the notes to appear on the nose and seemed average when tasted.
However, it is still was drinkable and has pretty good length. But not as good as expected. Did go well with a Manchego cheese sampler I had of cheeses aged 3, 6 and 9 months.
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11/4/2016 - johnrm wrote: flawed
A restaurant buy. Decent nose after opening (no TCA) but, when poured, the wine had limited fruit and any positive qualities were negated by (dare I say it?) vinegar on the mid/late palate. Four of us looked askance at one another without prompting and the Sommelier sampled the wine and removed it without hesitation.
I had looked forward to this and was deeply disappointed. I cannot believe this wine was simply too young at 12 yo. It was going nowhere.....
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11/1/2016 - mye wrote: 88 Points
Ruby red. Decanted for 30 mins.
Still very primary red cherry fruit, with rough tannins. I'd say hold for a few more years for sure. Overall primary juicy fruit.
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10/30/2016 - Procurare Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Had this wine off the list at GT Prime (which also had its issues). The wine was very closed with none of the expressiveness I have come to expect from LdH and from Rioja in general. None of that wonderful funk, leather and light fruit. I really had to stick my nose in the glass to get anything and this wine was decanted. Upon tasting I got a bit of leather and strawberry and not much else except acid. I found this wine unbalanced. That being said, it wasn't undrinkable and with food it was fine. Perhaps good in ten years - but likely not much.
A 5
N 6
B 6
T 15
F 3
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10/24/2016 - _water.into.wine_ Does not like this wine: 88 Points
A nice vibrant red, medium bodied, and well integrated tannins. But there is a sweetness to this wine I just can't seem to fully enjoy.
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10/21/2016 - CHINACAT wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby color and fragrant. Plenty of ripe red and dark fruits, slightly oaky, fairly smooth, with some remaining structure. Still a bit primary, with room to further develop, but overall quite good.
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10/20/2016 - cristian_m wrote: 87 Points
It pains me to write this note, and to be fair, an 87 is still a very good score. I've been a fan of Lopez Heredia for a long long time. That said, this wine really fails to deliver anything great from what should be one of the best vintages in recent memory. Contrary to what others have mentioned on this wine, I don't see a lot of upside inside these bottles that time will do anything for.
The wine has a pleasing appearance and a fair nose of sour cherry with some oak vanilla. Less expressive nose than I'm accustomed to with Tondonia and a lot less of the funk. The first sip is largely devoid of fruit and the rest of the taste progression doesn't uncover much either. Sour. Weight tends towards very watery and the wine has a jolting taste of chemical or almost like some flaws I've seen from fermentations that have gone too hot. No idea if that actually happened here but when I compare this Tondonia to the other Riojas I've had from 2004 , it makes me sad. I daresay I might not see much difference between this vintage and the 2002.
However, it is still pleasing, has pretty good length, flavors of leather, burnt earth and tree bark are all things I can get on board with. This is still a better than average wine.
I should add, I'm writing this note after having tried two bottles, two weeks apart and tasting one across 2 fulls days of breathing and the other across 3 days of air.
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10/19/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Opened and decanted for prob 30-45 minutes before pouring. It's still a complete baby, but an interesting wine. Get a fair amount of oak in this. Red fruits. A hint maybe of leather. I think could be very interesting in 20 years, although with some air it was starting to open more and it was certainly more approachable now than I'd have expected.
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10/19/2016 - Phenol73 Likes this wine: 92 Points
(BBR Spain Tasting) :: Very expressive perfume, showing lots of clove, red cherry and balsam. Big acidity; fresh and rounded mouthfeel, offering notes of orange peel. Very fine tannins and a med/long finish. Hold.
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10/13/2016 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 92 Points
Interesting aromas of cooked meat, earth, graphite, still young tannic & acidic but tasty, lovely with food, this will be very good in few years time
92+
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10/11/2016 - grantsky wrote: 91 Points
Really has the stuffing to be great; quite good now. Classic slightly oxidative red fruit, earth, dill, and dried spices on the nose. Palate is very fresh with great acid. Still very primary. Great purity of fruit.
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10/10/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Tasted after 2004 Bosconia Reserva. Open, expressive, floral, spices, smoke, tobacco. Good fruit on the palate with a nice tannic grip. Ripe fruit, good acidity and length. Delicious. 91-93
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10/9/2016 - rayq wrote: 90 Points
Tightly wound at the moment. Not giving much up, red fruited typical Tondonia. Needs time. Will be great without doubt.
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10/8/2016 - GLum Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a medium bodied wine with a lot of complexity. On the nose, you get hints of dark berries, pencil lead, tobacco and old leather. It is very balanced and is a wine that demands to be drank with food. We paired this with a roasted rack of lamb along with a side dish of wild mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, butter and garlic. The richness of the lamb and earthiness of the wild mushrooms were a fantastic match.
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10/7/2016 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
We decanted the wine for one hour and followed its development over a period of another two hours. The wine was medium to dark ruby in colour, turning garnet at the edges. It was pretty closed and only started to open up slowly after two hours in the decanter, revealing cherry, spices, cinnamon and some clove, with high acidity and incredible length. The medium-bodied wine was smooth, balanced and elegant and had good concentration, but was pretty closed and thus did not show much complexity. More serious than the 2002 and 2003, and potentially also longer-lived. Hold. 91 for now, with potential to improve.
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10/7/2016 - Winowhyno Likes this wine: 88 Points
First time tasting a Rioja. Good blend with interesting flavors. Nice departure from my typical Cabs and Blends. Opens nicely after 30 minutes.
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10/6/2016 - Harley1199 wrote:
López de Heredia - Viña Tondonia Tasting Event (Bodega Santa Cecilia - Madrid): New kid on the blockbusters. very pale crimson hues. Pretty closed and slightly artificial on the nose. Notes of licorice and roasted appear but predominates in pharmaceutical hint. Also black currants with mint. Acidity big shot and watery texture of a classical Tondonia. Its time will come.
Nuevo chica en la oficina. Color carmesí con ribetes muy pálidos. Bastante cerrado y un poquito artificial en nariz. Aparecen notas de regaliz y torrefactos pero predomina en deje farmacéutico. También grosellas negras con menta. Acidez disparada y la clásica textura acuosa de Tondonia. Su hora llegará.
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10/4/2016 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Day 5 and holding on very strong. Was in and out of the fridge during that time...black cherry, hot brick palate. Stoney and mineral more than herb. Not really any herb today. Med tannin. Med/+ acid. BUY BUY BUY.
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10/2/2016 - Tom Sorce wrote: 90 Points
Nice Rioja that drinks well now but should get better with a few more years. Well balanced, full bodied.
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10/1/2016 - Ebrim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Clear medium garnet core and paler rim, developing
Nose is clean with medium+ intense aromas of oak, vanilla/cocos, blackberry, cherry, banana, developing
Palate is dry with medium+ acidity, medium ripe tannins, medium+ alcohol, body and flavour intensity with aromas of blackberries, vanilla, oak, cocos, banana, white pepper and hint of tobacco and dry aged meat. Long finish
Well balanced, concentrated and rather intense, not to complex. Finish is long and this is a classic traditional rioja style. Keep. Very good quality, 90p
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9/30/2016 - bklynwine wrote:
Dense and powerful now, but the fruit, oak, and acidity are in such great balance that the wine drinks very well now; aged a few more years, this will be a wine that can compete with others at twice the price
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9/30/2016 - micotania Likes this wine:
3rd
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9/28/2016 - chatters wrote:
Double decanted. Vanilla & coconut, sweet spice, Russian caravan tea, ripe red berries and cherries, a touch of sour sharpness, chalky tannins and a fair whack of alcohol heat. Actually, I'm doing this wine a disservice: This is exceedingly rich, dense and generously proportioned and, despite 12 years, still very young.
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9/21/2016 - nzinkgraf wrote:
bark and dark very aromas. med tannin, some kernel and earth, very nice structure, red cherry and strawberry. BUY.
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9/17/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Wow that is super tasty.
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9/12/2016 - adrenalinjohn wrote: 94 Points
Definitely needs plenty of decanter time if you want to drink now, but you will be very well rewarded for the wait.
Not a sweet fruit driven modern styled number, this Tondonia is a superb, old school tradional Rioja. The nose is concentrated oak and vanilla, with dry forest fruits and that typical Rioja tanin/balsamic backbone with a satisfying but morish finish.
A distinguished elegant gentleman of a wine that, while already fantastic, is probably still too young to be at its peak. Could be sensational 95point plus in 5 years
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9/10/2016 - Tannatastic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted alongside the Ardanza '04.
Much the younger looking and smelling of the two wines, this needed a good couple of hours in the decanter to open up. Purple to ruby, with an at first reticent nose, developing vanilla and old red berries.
As noted before, quite tannic, for Rioja and a quite drying finish.
It's already a good wine, but it's definitely got a great future. My drinking partner and I agreed that they were two different wines, the Ardanza is the more ostentatious, easier if you will, of the two but that they both are equally enjoyable in their own way.
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9/9/2016 - sooper65 wrote: 90 Points
good.. hmmm
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9/4/2016 - oliverrix Likes this wine: 89 Points
Proper Rioja! Notes of liquorice, blackcurrant, dark chocolate. Really good - a little sharp in the mouth but maybe this will smooth out as it breathes.
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9/2/2016 - sooper65 wrote: 86 Points
pretty unimpressed by this bottle
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8/26/2016 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:
Pretty tight on initial pour. Drank half (went well with paella), and it opened up over the cause of a couple of hours. Re-corked, put it in the fridge and forgot it was there. Opened four days later, and found this had really hit its sweet spot. Drink now with plenty of air or hold for 5-10 years.
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8/23/2016 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 88 Points
Savoury, somewhat austere Rioja - that said it's pleasantly restrained in term of cosmetic vanilla oak. I suspect there is a fair amount of old oak here, but it's clean.
For such a great vintage it's a pity there isn't more exciting fruit though.
On the finish there is a touch of VA, but this does tone down with some breathing.
I swear there is bottle variation, though it isn't extreme.
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8/21/2016 - drwine2001 wrote:
Rioja Flight (SF Wine Trading Company): Light ruby, tawny rim. Gorgeous scents of citrus peel and clove. Light to medium weight, just lovely sense of a complete, elegant package. Already complex with background vanilla, leather, tobacco, and a citric twist, gentle tannin. Beautifully balanced, and I bet this will wind up as ethereal and mesmerizing as its predecessors such as the 1981 Bosconia. While I usually prefer that cuvée, based upon my experience with the 2004 Bosconia, I clearly prefer this. Wonderful now and most probably over the next 10 to 12 years anyway, but the staying power of Lopez de Heredia wines often surprises me. My wine of the tasting.
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8/20/2016 - sooper65 wrote: 88 Points
Good rioja... not great.
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8/6/2016 - Tannatastic Likes this wine: 91 Points
After such a lengthy spell in barrel I anticipated a lighter colour and some bricking, but this is still a deep crimson-to-purple.
Fantastic, concentrated nose of oaky vanilla, with forest fruits and that signature Rioja VA/balsamic tone.
Still very young, and still needs time. More tannic grip than you'd usually associate with Rioja, it has a slighly austere, mid-weight claret feel to it, and a quite drying finish.
For maximum enjoyment I'd suggest giving it a good decant, or better still giving it time, and the opportunity to reveal it's secrets.
Another fantastic 2004 Rioja. Fill yer boots whilst you can still find them.
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8/3/2016 - DanielOsman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Supple and refined. This is a beautifully craft wine. Recommend to decant for an hour or 2 first as it got better and better over the evening. The fruits are soft but delicious and it has a Majestic balance between the tannins and the acidity. Highly recommended.
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8/2/2016 - sooper65 wrote: 90 Points
yep, good pure Rioja... not close to the Gran Reserva Rioja Alta though
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7/30/2016 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Red cherry aromas. Savory, smoke, herb accents. Very good, med/+ acid, floral on the palate too. Med tannin. This is a very good vintage of this wine, more to age with this structure, but drinks great now.
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7/23/2016 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 89 Points
This 2004 is the current release from the winery so I can't understand how there are a few reviews on Cellartracker for younger vintages.
I think this Bodaga is on the rise, having cleaned up some of their winemaking practices.
This is good Rioja. Oddly my opinion has wavered across several bottles. First time it seemed surprisingly tight/young for a 12 year old wine. Other bottles less so. I can't decide if this is extraordinary good value, or just good value. I will try again.
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6/23/2016 - cheZ joZef Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had this in a restaurant in San Sebastian Spain with lamb chops. Big fruit and smooth tannins. Black cherry and earth with a hint of spice. Not much nose. Drinking surprisingly well at the stage but likely will improve in complexity with age.
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6/5/2016 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Classic, old-school Rioja. Dusty cherry and a strong hit of burnt cinnamon on the nose. Rustic, tannic, and edgy. Bright red cherries in the mouth with plenty of earth. Nice match with salmorejo and roasted chicken with pimenton.
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5/12/2016 - Lype Likes this wine: 90 Points
A bit closed, dry mouthfeel, fairly high tannins and acidity, a promising strong vintage but too young for me. Will get better with age.
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4/19/2016 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 93 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2016/04/vina-tondonia-2004-reserva.html
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De color rubí rojizo de capa media, claro, límpido, sin precipitados. Reflejos granatosos y anaranjados, brillante. Borde estrecho, cobrizo.
Potente, complejo. Se presenta con un núcleo de especiados (clavo, pimienta negra, laurel) que se confunden camelos de cola, e incluso algún apunte asilvestrado de maceración, hollejos, carcascarillas de naranja... Viene apretado, "asalvajado", sin abrirse. Muy puro. De una juventud insultante!!!
Concentrado, vivo, sápido, lleno, de enorme finura y personalidad. Es el vino que por calidad se debería elaborar en la Rioja alta: fresco, fino, acendrado, con una acidez marcada y una materia prima excelente. Juega en otra liga!! La trama es compacta y nos deja la impresión de estar ante un grandísimo vino. Aún se espinan un poco los taninos y falta por corregir algún exceso pero todo esto son virtudes.
Extraordinario Tondonia reserva que pone el contrapunto a las últimas cosechas. Quizás se trate del tinto más sobrio y austero que haya probado de esta bodega. Impecable, sin filigranas, nada redundante, sin excesos de madera, sobrado de energía y con un equilibrio ya notable, y a mí entender con una proyeccion de guarda como nunca se había visto. Ya se puede disfrutar en su juventud pero cuesta saber hasta dónde va a crecer. Un vino magnífico, de gran pureza, fiel a la historia de la bodega pero con el añadido de calidad a la que nos estamos acostumbrando en los últimos años. El nivel de los Tondonia, blancos y tintos, es a día de hoy máximo. Mientras otras bodegas se pliegan a la tensión del mercado y pierden identidad, R. López de Heredia vive su época dorada.
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75% tempranillo, 15% garnacho, 10% mazuelo y graciano. 12.5% vol.
- Viñedo situado en la margen derecho del Río Ebro, con una altitud entre 438 y 489 metros sobre suelos aluviales hasta arcillo-calcáreos con presencia de gravas y cantos rodados. Uva vendimiada a mano a partir del 11 de octubre. Permanece durante 6 meses en grandes depósitos de madera de 60 hectolitros, sin control de temperatura, en los que realiza la fermentación alcohólica y maloláctica, y se estabiliza antes de ser transvasado para su posterior maduración en madera. Seis años de crianza en barricas usadas de roble americano de 225 litros elaboradas por los toneleros de la propia bodega. Sometido a 2 trasiegas manuales cada año, de barrica a barrrica. Clarificación con claras de huevos frescos. 260.000 botellas elaboradas. Un mínimo de 4 años de guarda en botellero en los viejos calados de Haro antes de ser comercializado.
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9/15/2015 - jseal@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of highest scores ever. Nose: strong earthy stink, a bit tart when first opened, pepper and dark fruit. Minimum 2 hr decant: Taste of leather and just tart chees, heavy body, excellent balance, moderate tannins, medium-long length. This bottle was superb, but others in my six ranged from near this quality to slightly past prime and a bit gamey and tart. DRINK NOW
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