Viña Tondonia 1999 Blanco Reserva

Wine: Viña Tondonia 1999 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. Fermented in old 60-hectoliter oak vats without temperature control. The wine was aged for 6 years in 225-liter American oak barrels, undergoing two manual rackings (trasiegas) per year. Fined with fresh egg whites and bottled directly from the barrel without filtration. It remained in the winery’s underground cellars for a minimum of 9 years prior to its commercial release.

 

Tasting Notes:
 

Appearance: Deep golden yellow, slightly dark but pristine. It shows gold and amber highlights with a significant sense of density and broad, persistent legs (tears).

 

Nose: Powerful and packed with information—almost to an excess—suggesting it requires extensive bottle age to fully harmonize. It is remarkably complex, consistent with recent vintages of Tondonia’s Blanco Reserva. A patina of spices stands out: turmeric, raw wood, fresh vanilla, and powdered bay leaf, layered over sweet citrus, loquat, lemon brine, dried herbs, candied fruit, quince, and acacia honey. As it opens, it becomes increasingly expressive and profound, revealing notes of ripe stone fruit (peach, roasted apple), creamy nuances, dried apricots, and glacé fruit. Given a few more years, this will undoubtedly stand among the greatest Spanish white wines.

 

Palate: Concentrated, oily, and full-bodied on the palate; bone-dry and underpinned by a fantastic acidity that remains perfectly intact despite its time in the bottle. It displays subtle bitter undertones and immense vigor. Long, candied, and savory, yet still somewhat "raw." While approachable now, patience is recommended; this is a long-distance runner that closely resembles the 1998 vintage, perhaps even a step above. At just over 20 euros, it offers one of the best quality-to-price ratios in the world—a wine one can trust blindly year after year. In a decade, it will be a true gem. A wine to buy by the case and enjoy without end. This final Blanco Reserva of the 20th century deserves to be ranked among the winery's finest. There is no doubt: the wines crafted by María José López de Heredia are pieces of liquid goldsmithing—extraordinary and unique.

 

Personal Score: 93
Tasting Group Score: 93