Viña Tondonia 1996 Blanco Reserva

Wine: Viña Tondonia 1996 Blanco Reserva

Winery: R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 90% Viura, 10% Malvasía.
ABV: 12.5%

Winemaking
Hand-harvested. Fermentation took place in old 60-hectoliter oak vats without temperature control. The wine was aged for 6 years in 225-liter American oak barriques, with two traditional manual rackings performed each year. Fined with fresh egg whites and bottled directly from the barrel—unfiltered. It rested for a minimum of 9 years in the winery’s subterranean cellars (calados) prior to its commercial release. Limited production of 20,000 bottles. 

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Intense yellow hue with golden and copper reflections; it displays an abundance of very fine legs.

 

Nose: Open and extroverted, revealing its complexity immediately upon uncorking. It offers stone fruit, orange marmalade, dried apricots, citronella, and sweet citrus. Above all, it is defined by the quintessential "Tondoniano" oxidative aging profile (seasoned wood, turmeric) that envelops the entire ensemble. The overall impression is of a white wine that still requires further cellaring to reach full integration, possessing enormous potential for future growth.

 

Palate: It carries all the winery's hallmarks: high acidity, concentration, and viscosity with persistent citric edges and ever-present oak. It is surprising that it maintains such a "youthful" profile more than 10 years after bottling. A nervous white of immense purity, currently somewhat austere designed for future retrieval. The prospects are outstanding, but patience is required. A true 100% vin de garde.

 

Personal Score: 90
Tasting Group Score: 90