Tag Archives: tondonia

Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco, Rioja DOCa 1981 – April 2016

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco, Rioja DOCa 1981 750ML ($249.95) Buy Now: $189 special

Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Blanco 1981Neal Martin – Wine Advocate 95 points “The 1981 Vina Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva has a complex bouquet of barley sugar, candle wax, dandelion and a touch of melon. The palate is medium-bodied with fine acidity, dried honey and a touch of lemongrass than lends it edge. The finish is bone dry, beautifully defined and persistent in the mouth. Drink now-2030+”

Antonio Galloni – Vinous 93 points “The richly-colored 1981 1981 Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva captures the essence of this house’s wines. It is a wine of great complexity as well as contrasts. At once mature yet seemingly ageless, full-bodied yet somehow also miraculously delicate, it displays evolved sensations of earthiness, smoke, roasted nuts and dried apricots in a more oxidative style with great persistence on the palate and enough acidity to make me think it will drink well for at least another ten or so years.”

Josh Raynolds – Vinous 93 points “True gold, but remarkably youthful for its age. Wild, complex bouquet of pungent flowers, succulent herbs, orange peel, violet, vanilla, toasted nuts and baking spices. Rich, deep and beautifully concentrated, with surprising energy to the ripe pear and poached apple flavors complemented by marzipan and vanilla. This actually tightens up on the finish, showing a lingering exotic, spicy character. You could drink this right now or even hold it for a few more years.”

Wine of the Day: Lopez de Heredia Tondonia 4-2-16

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva 2003 750ML ($47.95) Buy Now: $33 special
Case-12 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva 2003 750ML ($499.95) Buy Now: $359 special (that’s only $29.92/bottle!)

Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Reserva 2003There’s a little jazz venue-meets-bottle shop on Portland’s east side that has two bottles of Lopez de Heredia from the 1940’s sitting on a shelf. While a friend was playing a recent show, I could barely resist temptation of yanking out the still-intact corks and seeing what message the wine bore from three quarters of a century ago. The labels are tattered, the bottle’s glass itself is lopsided, and the once-bright red wax seal has assumed a burnt sienna hue. I wonder when, if ever, these wines will see the light of day!

Every bottle I’ve had from Lopez de Heredia – LdH, as their devotees have dubbed them – bears some variation of this mystery. Their library releases make me wonder about what the weather in Spain was like that year, about what was going on in my own life at the time. I respect LdH because their mission seems unchanged since 1877; they resist temptation of trends and seldom disappoint. Above all – beyond the romance and the story, if one can divorce the two – the wines are powerful yet balanced, hugely expressive and a touch rustic. Soulful, suave, old world.

The 2003 Tondonia is 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo, all from estate vineyards. Aged six years in barrel and racked twice, the wine presents blackcurrant and smoke in terms or aromas and delivers a brilliant mix of saddle leather, roasted herbs, ripe red fruit, and earth on the palate. The tannins are there – and aren’t shy – but the acid, brightness, and body all reconcile in a lively, balanced wine. Decant it, let it sit, tipple here and there, and enjoy over a nice meal. You wouldn’t be wrong to grab a case and drink one bottle per year until 2027… I don’t say that as a salesman, but rather a fellow drinker. Enjoy this one! -Tyler