R. López de Heredia 2011 Viña Tondonia Reserva

Critical Acclaim

97 points James Suckling: "Sweet berries, cherries, cedar and dried flowers on the nose. Some lemon and lime zest, too! Medium-to full-bodied with tight, integrated tannins that show wonderful length and reserve. So fresh and vivid. Lots of energy. A wonderful, classic wine. Drink or hold. (9/28/21)"

94 points Tim Atkin, MW: "(13%).Serious and concentrated, at least by the standards of some López de Heredia reds, this reflects the heat of the 2009 vintage. Tempranillo-based with 30% Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo, it's spicy, savoury and high toned with grippy tannins, layers of tobacco and red fruits and classic, supporting acidity. 2021-30. (2021)"

93 points Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate): "[$55 list] As with many wines this time, I had two vintages to taste of the Reserva from the Tondonia vineyard, 2009 and 2008, two very different, almost opposite vintages. The 2009 Viña Tondonia Reserva, a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% each Mazuelo and Graciano, matured in used American oak barrels for six years. It has some toasted character, with ripe fruit, black rather than red, denoting a warm year but more restrained than the Bosconia Reserva from the same vintage. 2009 is a year of ripeness, concentration and tannin; the wines are powerful, but here you see the finesse of Tondonia in comparison to the more rustic Viña Bosconia. It was bottled in May 2017. Drink: 2020-2029."

Tasting note:

Colour: Vibrant red leading slightly towards amber. Nose: Light fresh texture with notes of vanilla and dried berry aromas. Taste: Rich, very dry, smooth, developed. Firm tannins and good balance.

This vintage was qualified as VERY GOOD by the DOC Rioja Board. The wine growing campaign proceeded as usual except for the heavy rains that took place in June, which however didn’t really affect the grapes’ setting. After these fertilization and absence of spring frosts there was a dry and hot summer, free of cryptogamic/fungal diseases, that resulted in an abundant harvest. We observed certain maturation disparities which could have been solved along October due to its appropriate climate for a restful and selective harvest. The collecting work began in Viña Gravonia in September 22nd and was extended until the 25th for the white varieties. For the red varieties the harvest restarted at Viña Tondonia in October 7th and didn’t stop until it was finished by October 24th.

R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia is a Rioja producer that is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest wine estates. It was founded in 1877, and is well known for its traditional winemaking approach. It is particularly associated with its Tempranillo-based wines from the Tondonia vineyard, to the extent that this now forms part of the company name.

The Tondonia vineyard extends for over 100 hectares (250 acres) in a picturesque site next to the Ebro river. The soil is made up of alluvial clay with a high limestone content, which has proved an excellent terroir for the Tempranillo and Garnacha vines that are planted there. Tondonia provides the grapes for López de Heredia's top wines, both red and white.

The flagship wine from the company is the dry, vanilla-laden López de Heredia Gran Reserva. It is predominantly Tempranillo with small amounts of Garnacha and Mazuelo, and sees ten years aging in barrel before release. The Reserva, which adds a little Graciano to the blend, only receives six years.

The two nutty, perfumed Viña Tondonia white wines – a Gran Reserva and a Reserva – have the same respective time in oak as the red wines, and are made from Viura with a small amount of Malvasia. An interesting innovation from Tondonia is the Gran Reserva Rosado, which is one of the few rosés in the world released after such long aging (four and a half years) in barrel.

R. López de Heredia owns three other vineyards in the Rioja Alta region: Viñas Cubillo, Bosconia and Zaconia. The first two make single-vineyard red wines, while the Zaconia vineyard is planted with white varieties and previously supplied dry wines under that banner, and dessert wines labelled Sauternia. Nowadays, it is the source of the Viña Gravonia oak-aged white made from Viura.

The sprawling winery complex neighboring La Rioja Alta in the centre of Haro is the oldest in the town, and one of the first wineries in the entire region. Wines are made in a range of old oak vats of varying size and wood origin, and aged in a famous network of dark, moldy cellars with evocative names such as El Cemeterio and La Dolorosa.