Viña Tondonia 1987 Blanco Gran Reserva

Wine: Viña Tondonia 1987 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 9.5 years of aging in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels, crafted by the winery’s own cooperage. Two manual rackings were performed annually. Clarified with fresh egg whites and bottled directly from the cask in 1997 without filtration. Sealed with a special wax capsule to ensure optimal bottle evolution and protection against contamination. Limited production of 14,000 bottles. It rested for a minimum of 44 months in the bottle prior to its commercial release. 

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Old gold hue, almost amber; brilliant and luminous. It shows golden and orange highlights with a slight sense of viscosity and medium legs. 

 

Nose: Good intensity and remarkable honesty. Upon opening, a fine and very elegant reduction stands out, with hints of dried fruits (apricots, candied pear), orange peel, preserved lemon, nuts, and withered flowers. A nuanced character reminiscent of salt flats, fleur de sel, and sharp, pungent notes emerges. It requires aeration to reveal greater complexity: beeswax, smoky tones, seasoned staves, cocoa butter, and exotic spices. Complex and very solid.

 

Palate: Broad, mature, vibrant, and direct—unapologetic. It features excellent acidity and a "wall" of fruit compote that returns every strike; like a tireless backhand player from the baseline, it hammers the palate with ripe fruit time and again. A subtle toasted and liqueur-like hint accompanies sweet citrus, vanilla, and cream. Very long finish with a waxy, honeyed retronasal passage. An excellent white that still requires further bottle aging to gain reductive complexity. It is highly pleasurable now, and there is no doubt that in a few years, it will rival the winery’s finest long-aged whites.

 

Personal Score: 92
Tasting Group Score: 94