1961 R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Tondonia

Community Tasting Notes (14) Avg Score: 89.6 points

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  7/24/2021 - nuto5172 Likes this wine: 91 Points

  This was acquired from Rare Wine Co earlier this year but had sat in Rekondo’s wine library, supposedly since or almost since release. The bottle was preserved extremely well with the foil perfectly intact. There was no sediment visibly showing (bottle was stood vertical before opening) with light shined underneath the neck. Unfortunately the cork immediately started moving into the bottle after the first few twists with my Ah So (this is my first wine opened this old) and I was able to pull about 2/3 of it before it the bottom portion broke away and remained in the neck. I pushed that portion into the bottle, and decanted with sieve to reveal a beautifully colored aged Rioja: it gave off a deep cherry and perfumed nose from the decanter right away. We drank within about 15 minutes of decanting, as not to put too much air on it and the first small pour showed an amazing, unique red coloring (the edges of the liquid looked almost orange in certain light). The nose in the glass had developed to notes of mushroom and strong leather with cola tasting on the finish. Virtually no tannins, all developed as to be expected, and an extremely delicate wine. As we got into the second glass much more of the deep fruit was showing through and the nose was creamier almost with a hint of banana, the finish was now something a bit more peppery. This wine did hold up really nicely with food (crusted Filet Mignon) but was much more enjoyable drinking on its own. A treat for sure!

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  2/4/2021 - acyso wrote: 90 Points

  There's a bit of that dirty old Rioja smell on the nose, followed by some hints of coffee. Any sort of fruit flavour here is very tertiary and dried out, but there are also occasional wisps of floral aromas too. The palate is pretty much a continuation of the nose, with some still-vibrant acidity, though this is mostly dominated by that old wine taste at this point. And as with most old Rioja, every fourth sip prompts an "is this corked?" question in my head.
  
  A postscript: half the bottle was preserved under a Repour was far cleaner and brighter the next day. All the off flavours seemed to have dissipated. Accordingly, I raised the score by a tick. I shall endeavor to treat my remaining bottles with a more generous amount of air.

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  6/2/2018 - psmith wrote: 86 Points

  Old wood and beef bouillon notes. Medium-bodied, and there's a real elegance here, but it's also clearly tiring and the flavors and weight aren't well supported. Enjoyable, but not much more.

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  5/2/2018 - acyso wrote: 90 Points

  The cork here was sketchy -- took a good five minutes of finesse with the Durand to get it out; it crumbled nonetheless but I only ended up with two or three small bits in the bottle so I consider that a victory. Despite the dead cork, this was a bottle alive and well. The nose shows a fair bit of funk, alongside an intense note of coffee and dried figs. The palate is fully resolved, with some fruity sweetness as well as earthy notes to boot. Probably just a bit past its prime (at least this bottle), with a metallic finish.

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  3/10/2018 - salil wrote:

  Dead.

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