Viña Tondonia 2004 Reserva

Wine: Viña Tondonia 2004 Reserva
Winery: R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano
ABV: 12.5%

Winemaking
Vineyards located on the right bank of the Ebro River, at altitudes between 438 and 489 meters. Soils range from alluvial to clay-limestone with presence of gravel and pebbles. Hand-harvested starting October 11th. The wine spent 6 months in legacy 60-hectoliter oak vats without temperature control for fermentation and stabilization. It then underwent 6 years of aging in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels, crafted by the winery’s own cooperage, with two manual rackings per year. Clarified with fresh egg whites. 260,000 bottles produced. It rested for a minimum of 4 years in the bottle in the historic Haro cellars before its release.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Ruby-red of medium depth; clear and limpid with no sediment. Garnet and orange highlights; brilliant. Narrow, copper-colored rim.

 

Nose: Powerful and complex. It presents a core of spices (clove, black pepper, bay leaf) that meld with notes of cola candy and even some "wild" maceration hints—grape skins, orange peel. It comes across as tight and "untamed", yet to fully open. Very pure. Insultingly youthful.

 

Palate: Concentrated, vibrant, savory, and full-bodied; showing immense finesse and personality. This is the quality of wine that should define Rioja Alta: fresh, refined, and pure, with marked acidity and excellent raw material. It plays in a different league. The framework is compact, leaving the impression of a truly great wine. The tannins are still slightly prickly and a few excesses remain to be polished, but these are virtues in such a young wine.

 

Review: An extraordinary Tondonia Reserva that stands in contrast to recent vintages. It is perhaps the most sober and austere red I have ever tasted from this winery. Impeccable, without frills or redundancy; no oak excess, overflowing with energy and already showing remarkable balance. In my view, it possesses an unprecedented aging potential. While enjoyable now in its youth, it is hard to say just how much it will grow. A magnificent wine of great purity, faithful to the winery's history but with the added quality we have come to expect in recent years. The current level of Tondonia, both white and red, is at its peak. While other wineries succumb to market pressures and lose their identity, R. López de Heredia is living its golden age.

 

Personal Score: 93