2004 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia

Decanter

• By Panel Tasting
  The most exciting wines of 2017, 10/1/2017, (See more on Decanter...)

  (R López de Heredia, Viña Tondonia Reserva, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, Red) Login and subscribe to see review text.

JancisRobinson.com

• By Julia Harding, MW
  6/30/2017, (See more on JancisRobinson.com...)

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

• By Josh Raynolds
  Spain’s New Releases, Part 2: Triumphs and Travails (May 2017), 5/17/2017, (See more on Vinous...)

  (R. Lopez De Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva (rioja) Red) Login and sign up and see review text.

View From the Cellar

• By John Gilman
  Mar/Apr 2017, Issue #68, Recently Tasted, Superb Spanish Wines Part Two

  (Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva- Bodegas López de Heredia (Rioja Alta)) Login and sign up and see review text.

JancisRobinson.com

• By Jancis Robinson, MW
  10/5/2016, (See more on JancisRobinson.com...)

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

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull The Apotheosis of Traditional, 1/20/2017

  (Lopez de Heredia Rioja Reserva Tondonia) Hello friends. Many years ago now, I was introduced to the magical, ethereal Rioja wines of Lopez de Heredia by Javier Alfonso of Pomum/Idilico. I owe that man a debt of gratitude. Since then, I have taken every opportunity possible to purchase, collect, drink, and talk about these wines. Offering them, however, has been more challenging, and as I look back at my records, the last time we offered a Lopez de Heredia wine was in 2012. That is borderline criminal, so I’m thrilled to have the chance to offer two classics from the portfolio today: one red and one white. I’ll turn to Neal Martin of Wine Advocate for an introduction to the winery, because a) I love his writing; and b) he seems to love Lopez de Heredia as much as (and in the same way as) I do: I have adored, indeed occasionally worshiped, the wines of Lopez de Heredia for many years, so I am not ashamed to admit that visiting both their vineyard and their winery was a pilgrimage. Founded by Rafael Lopez de Heredia y Landeta in 1877, it has withstood the tide of corporatization and homogeneity, and epitomizes timeless, artisan winemaking in their own individual, almost solipsistic manner. Technology is noticeable by its absence here. For example, to quote her sister Maria-Jose at a tasting that I subsequently attended in London: “Indigenous yeasts have adapted to high temperatures. To control the temperature during fermentation, we open doors and windows” and “malolactic is the invention of modern winemakers.” I had to check whether this was 2012 or 1912. If you were to award points for charisma, then this producer would be in a league of its own. That would count for nothing if their wines were not distinguished, individual, long-lived and above all, delicious. It is commonly known that if you are seeking bags of fruit and lashings of oak, this is not the place to come. My views and these scores might be irrational to someone with a penchant for lush, voluptuous Rioja. Lopez de Heredia is the apotheosis of traditional, classic wines: taut, fresh, bucolic, utterly charming and amazingly long-lived. We have pricing today that is good as anything I see nationwide. And of course it’s rare indeed to have access to pristinely-aged 13-year-old wine from anyplace for a price in the $30s. Having accessed different vintages of this particular wine at various points along the ageing curve, I can say with confidence that a) there are pleasures to be had opening this bottle at any time during the next thirty-or-so years; and b) the more time this gets in bottle, the more it starts to converge with good old Burgundy. Multiple times in blind settings I’ve thought older bottles of Tondonia were great Burgundian Pinot Noir. This bottling comes from the winery’s 100-hectare flagship Tondonia vineyard, which sits in a small bowl next to the Ebro river (here is a winter picture). The soil is clay and limestone. The wine is a blend of 75% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, the remainder Garnacha and Mazuelo, and it gets six years in barrel before going to bottle. Meaning this was bottled in 2011 and has now had a subsequent five-plus years to evolve in bottle. And 2004 is the current-release vintage, to give you a sense of winery aging policy. The wine is a lithe, nervy beauty; a livewire of intensity at low (12.5%) alcohol; supremely beautiful. Look for a mix of dusty black fruit and loads of earth tones, especially mushroom and soil. The acid is clear as a bell, all blood-orange goodness; the tannin profile sneakier but offering a savory matcha finish for those paying attention. The overall package is a charming thrill ride for the senses. Wine Advocate: Copyrighted material withheld.