A Rioja lover's dream assortment, these traditionally styled selections from Lopez de Heredia come from one of the region's most esteemed Bodegas with over a century of expertise as grower-producers, their legendary, long-lived Riojas released only after lengthy aging in their famously moldy and cobweb-laced cellars, perfect for mixing a case or two at a price that "seems like a steal" according to Wine and Spirits.
As the last remaining family-run Bodegas in Rioja, winemaking at Lopez de Heredia has remained remarkably unchanged since its inception in 1877, crafting its wines in the Vina Tondonia winery in Haro with only estate-grown fruit, fermenting with natural yeasts and aging for extended periods in wood before bottling without filtration and further aging in the bottle.
Summing up the long-lived aging potential of each of these Lopez de Heredia selections, critic Neal Martin declares "a bottle of Lopez de Heredia is an individual and each time you meet, you may see a different side to its personality," reflecting the pure authenticity, remarkable ageability and striking complexity of these top vintages and promising pleasurable drinking ahead for Rioja fans and Spanish wine collectors who act quickly to secure their picks from this value packed offer.
Savory berries, plums, iron, minerals, tobacco, ink and blood oranges. Very bright, juicy and structured, with sensational balance, aged savoriness and brightness that are typical of Tondonia reds. Beautiful now.
96 points, Zekun Shuai, James Suckling (Aug 2024)
The 2012 Viña Tondonia Reserva comes from a very dry year, with 25% less rain than the average (at the time), resulting in lower yields of very healthy grapes that delivered wines with nice balance between alcohol and polyphenols, making it very apt for the aging in barrel. It had a slightly longer élevage in barrel, six years. The wine is aromatic with a developed profile, spicy and tertiary (forest floor, a touch of brick dust and iodine), complex and nuanced. The palate is full and round, with polished tannins and a long, dry finish. It has a textbook Tondonia nose and profile. 250,000 bottles produced.
95 points, Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (Feb 2024)
The 2012 Viña Tondonia is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, cultivated on the meander of the Ebro River in Rioja Alta. This garnet wine reveals aromas of ash and plum marmalade, with a faintly herbal core and hints of oaky cedar. Dry and lean, the fairly chalky texture lingers long, concluding with a compact, flavorful and lasting finish. The 2012 is a beautiful old-school Rioja.
95 points, Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous (Apr 2024)
All you can expect from a classical Viña Tondonia with its focused intensity and muscular yet very elegant tannins. At once assertive and silky, with juicy red and blue fruit gliding through the palate while being pleasantly pulled back by an energetic, iodine verve. Subtle, hovering, brooding notes of tobacco, mocha and wet forest floor. 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo, bottled in January 2022 having matured in 225-litre American oak barrels for six years.
94 points, Ines Salpico, Decanter (Dec 2024)
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