Wine: Viña Tondonia 1999 ReservaWinery: R. López de Heredia - Viña Tondonia (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano
ABV: 12.5% vol.
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano
ABV: 12.5% vol.
Winemaking:
Manual harvest followed by fermentation in seasoned 60-hectoliter oak vats without temperature control. The wine underwent a six-year maturation process in used 225-liter American oak barrels, with two manual rackings performed annually. Fined with fresh egg whites and bottled without filtration. Total production: 250,000 bottles.
Manual harvest followed by fermentation in seasoned 60-hectoliter oak vats without temperature control. The wine underwent a six-year maturation process in used 225-liter American oak barrels, with two manual rackings performed annually. Fined with fresh egg whites and bottled without filtration. Total production: 250,000 bottles.
Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Brownish-ruby color with medium-low depth; clear. Amber and garnet
reflections, showing low brilliance and an opaque quality. It presents a
light sediment at the base. Broad orange rim.
Nose:
A remarkably open and poised expression of López de Heredia, showing
excellent health. It initially presents a profile dominated by fine
reduction and elegant wood, followed by notes of overripe red fruit,
candied quince, and a vanillic background subtly punctuated by the
house’s signature toasted notes—reminiscent of periodic rackings and
wine-soaked foudres. It is unmistakably Tondonia: medicinal candy,
honey, mint, lavender, and herbal accents that gradually yield to
animalistic nuances, stable, and esparto grass. Complex, austere, and
profoundly attractive, though it remains somewhat constrained, requiring
further aeration to fully express its intensity.
Palate:
The entry is impactful and gripping; concentrated and driven by a
relentless, piercing acidity. The tannins remain somewhat rustic and
marked, currently in the process of integrating into a cedar-like,
almost toasted framework that defies simple definition. While far from a
purely "elegant" wine at this stage, it possesses all the inherent
class of the estate. It promises to become one of the finest Reservas in
the coming years.
Commentary:
This 1999 Reserva is a testament to the enduring style of Tondonia—firm, acid-driven, and structurally honest. It is a wine that currently prioritizes character over silkiness, but the raw material suggests a magnificent evolution. Patience will be rewarded as its rougher edges are burnished by time.
This 1999 Reserva is a testament to the enduring style of Tondonia—firm, acid-driven, and structurally honest. It is a wine that currently prioritizes character over silkiness, but the raw material suggests a magnificent evolution. Patience will be rewarded as its rougher edges are burnished by time.
Personal Score: 90
Tasting Group Average: 90
Tasting Group Average: 90
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