Anyone who knows Rioja knows that Lopez de Heredia is the standard-bearer for the classic soul of the region, turning out definitive renditions in a remarkable consistent style for over six decades. Part of their undeniable appeal is the estate's vast cellars, where they have enviable capacity to age wines to perfection before releasing them to market.Case in point is the newly arrived 2013 Vina Tondonia Reserva, just now hitting the market after over a decade at rest in the LdH cellars.
"Medium-bodied with chalky grip and a layered, tertiary finish, this is a benchmark classic—refined, enduring and unmistakably Tondonia."- Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous
From a cool, wet vintage, it's a stunning achievement of "canonical" style that shows this iconic Spanish estate at its very best. Modest alcohol, bright acidity and super-refined tannins give plenty of framing for the calcareous Tondonia soils to impart their personality on the wine, Like all Lopez new releases, it's showing its exceptional personality thanks to proper aging at the estate, but this is undoubtedly a classic Rioja cellar gem that should be stocked deep to enjoy time and time again over the next two decades, an easy proposition considering our flat-out ridiculous sub-$40 price.
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.
97 points, Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous (May 2025)
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...
95 points, Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (Feb 2025)
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