Viña Tondonia 1976 Blanco Gran Reserva

Wine: Viña Tondonia 1976 Blanco Gran Reserva

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

The wine spent 6 months in oak vats before being aged for 6 years in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels, handcrafted by the winery’s own coopers. The wine underwent 12 manual rackings. Fined with fresh egg whites and bottled directly from the cask in mid-1983. Unfiltered. It features a special wax seal to ensure optimal bottle evolution and protect it from contamination. A minimum of 44 months of bottle aging was completed prior to release.

 

Tasting Notes
 

Appearance: Old-gold color, notably more evolved than analogous vintages (1973, 1981). It shows amber and copper highlights—bright, with a significant sense of viscosity and massive, permanent legs (tears).

 

Nose: Refined reductive aromas of good intensity, featuring a classic patina of wine-soaked oak, solera nuances, and nuts (bitter almonds, shells, walnuts). After several hours of bottle aeration, the wine gains maturity, revealing candied fruit, pastry notes, dried apricots, orange marmalade, and acacia flower. This is supported by a background of beeswax, honeycomb, and "sacristy" notes of Coptic incense. There is a perceptible hint of early decrepitud or over-ripeness, though free of any notable defects.

 

Palate: The palate sparkles due to a piercing acidity and very pronounced bitter nuances. Mature and full-bodied, yet the ensemble feels slightly fragmented. It possesses significant energy but lacks seamless integration. While this may be bottle-specific, it appears to be a lesser vintage, leaning closer to the house’s current Blanco Reservas than to its legendary Gran Reservas. It seems to have evolved more rapidly than its peers; while enjoyable now, its further cellaring potential appears limited.

 

Personal Score: 90
Tasting Group Score: 89