Lopez de Heredia’s Viña Tondonia has become a bone fide cult classic over the years. The wines here are made as they always have been: assiduous care in the vineyards, scrupulous selection at harvest, ageing in oak in deep underground cellars followed by further bottle age before release.
Tondonia, the jewel of their vineyard holdings, produces what many see as the benchmark for classic, old-school Rioja and is a wine that we invariably take a big position on each year; we placed our order for the 2013 at the beginning of the month having tasted a sample from the winery.
As luck would have it the wine has just been reviewed very positively by Joaquín Hidalgo of Vinous, who awards it a highly impressive 97 points: “this is a benchmark classic—refined, enduring and unmistakably Tondonia”. Luis Gutierrez of the Wine Advocate is also a fan, scoring the wine 95 and, notably, alluding to the value for money on offer: "It should be released in the spring of 2025, almost 12 years after the harvest. And look at the price..."
Viña Tondonia is a wine that for many is the epitome of classic Rioja; it is already twelve years old and is just coming into its window of maturity. It will keep and develop for another decade at least yet, despite all this, it comes in at just £162 per six in bond, or a shade under £36 per bottle inc. taxes. We can't think of a wine that offers such a combination of quality, maturity and value.
Our stock is currently at the winery and will be shipping to the UK in June.
The 2013 Reserva Viña Tondonia is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo, grown in the calcareous soils of the Tondonia meander in Rioja Alta. Aged extensively in American oak, it offers restrained black fruit, wild herbs, balsamic hints and sweet spices with gentle cedar and vanilla notes. Medium-bodied with chalky grip and a layered, tertiary finish, this is a benchmark classic—refined, enduring and unmistakably Tondonia. 2025-2055.
The canonical red 2013 Viña Tondonia Reserva has a developed nose of dried roses and tar that transported me to Piamonte but soon took me back to the López de Heredia cellars in Haro with the mixture of mushrooms, truffles, damp earth and decayed leaves, hints of brick dust and spice. 2013 was a rainy year, with 753 liters of it, well above the average of 530 liters in Haro. It was also a cooler year, and the ripeness was slow, so they didn't start picking until the seventh of October, but they had to hurry up because of the risk of botrytis. The crop was not so big, because they suffered from hail in July that affected the Viña Tondonia, coupled with strong winds that broke many branches. The breakdown in 2013 comes to 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in old oak vats with indigenous yeasts. All the wines age in old American oak barrels in their caves, in this case for no less than six years. It comes in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.4 and 6.6 grams of acidity, perhaps a lighter vintage with higher acidity that translates into a lot of energy, a fine-boned palate and very fine tannins with a vibrant finish. 190,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2021. It should be released in the spring of 2025, almost 12 years after the harvest. And look at the price... Drink Date: 2025 - 2040
Lopez de Heredia's idiosyncratic Tondonia Reserva sets the benchmark for old-school Rioja, built on long-term ageing in barrel and bottle which makes it ready to drink from release. The 2013 has a garnet colour with bright cherry fruit, saddle leather, tobacco, dried cranberries and roasted plums. The palate is much the same, layering fruit and savoury depth with lightly chalky, ripe tannins providing the structure. Supple, moreish and finely balanced, this is another excellent rendition of this cuvée. Finishing with more tobacco, leather, miso and red fruit, it continues to offer excellent value for money for lovers of this style.
