Viña Tondonia 1973 Blanco Gran Reserva

Wine: Viña Tondonia 1973 Blanco Gran Reserva

Winery: R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 85% Viura, 15% Malvasía
ABV: 12%

Winemaking
The wine spent 6 months in wooden vats before undergoing 8 years of aging in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels, crafted by the winery’s own cooperage. A total of 15 manual rackings were performed. Clarified with fresh egg whites and bottled directly from the cask in January 1982 without filtration. Sealed with a special wax capsule to ensure optimal bottle evolution and protection against contamination. Limited production of 10,000 bottles. It rested for a minimum of 44 months in the bottle prior to its commercial release.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Dark amber with saffron and golden highlights; clean, bright, and displaying a pronounced sense of viscosity. Note: Issues upon opening; the bottle showed a slight ullage (merma) and the cork, lacking elasticity, broke during extraction.

 

Nose: Initial impressions were dominated by excessive wood staves, cellar humidity, ash, potato skin, barnyard, and truffle—yet notably free of over-oxidation. A false alarm. After several hours of aeration, it becomes powerfully expressive, revealing an endless palette of ripe fruit (dried apricots, Turkish sultanas), dried oranges, and candied fruit. This is wrapped in notes of honey, honeycomb, beeswax, and a curious animal accent of lanolin. Expansive and eloquent, it features fine creamy vanilla oak, which melds with spicy aromas and a smoky, mineral touch. It grows increasingly pure, deep, and mineral with air. A Viura in its purest essence that breathes in deep gulps, returning a tribute of glorious aromas.

 

Palate: The impact on the palate is absolute. Broad, unctuous, and rounded, it offers extreme sensations and a vivacity that saturates the perception. There is an astonishing concentration of fruit, with a nuance of sweetness and a tart, citrus acidity that electrifies the taste buds (nos hace fosfatina las papilas). Mature, tense, and serious; it is spirited and aristocratic. On the same qualitative scale as the legendary 1964 Gran Reserva, yet with a completely distinct profile. An unforgettable white wine.

 

Personal Score: 96
Tasting Group Score: 97