2004 López de Heredia "Viña Tondonia" Reserva Rioja

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2004 López de Heredia "Viña Tondonia" Reserva Rioja SKU #1252130

Price: $59.99

JS 95	JG 94	RP 94
VN 93	W&S 91	WE 91
WS 90

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Professional Reviews

James Suckling
95
Dried mango, pineapple and lemon aromas with hints of cream follow through to a full body, lightly tannic texture and a long and flavorful finish. Vanilla at the end. Love the experience.

(07/2017)
John Gilman
94
The 2004 Viña Tondonia Reserva is a beautiful bottle that is just starting to blossom, but is clearly built for the long haul and will be drinking far better a decade down the road. The bouquet is deep and nascently complex, wafting from the glass in a mix of cherries, red plums, toasted coconut, Rioja spice tones, a touch of mustard seed and a topnote of cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and tangy, with a lovely core, excellent soil inflection, fine-grained tannins and lovely length and grip on the nascently complex finish. This is very easy to drink already, but it has not yet developed the full panoply of Tondonia complexity yet and will be even better with another half dozen years of bottle age. A lovely bottle.

(03/2017)
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
94
The 2004 Viña Tondonia Reserva is a completely different story. It is a worthy follower of the 2001, the greatest of the Viña Tondonia Reservas of recent times. It has the usual blend and usual levels of alcohol and acidity, bottled after six years in oak barrels. The nose feels savory (if that's possible–umami?) and developed, with tertiary aromas and good balance between spices, leathery notes, cherries and balsamic notes of cigar box and incense. The palate is both round and crisp, with refined tannins. It has very good balance with subtle acidity and very good persistence. (LG)

(02/2015)
Vinous
93
Exotic, oak-spiced red berry liqueur, dried cherry and vanilla aromas are complemented by a smoky overtone. Sweet and pliant in the mouth, displaying a velvety texture to the plush black raspberry, cherry-vanilla and coconut flavors. Shows no rough edges and picks up a suave floral note with air, finishing with excellent clarity, a hint of allspice and round, harmonious tannins. (JR)

(05/2017)
Wine & Spirits
91
A dark and smoky vintage of Tondonia, this combines dense fruit and beefy tannins with elegant, refreshing acidity. Its gentleness and grace bring food to mind, whether aged Manchego or something meaty and spicy, like braised duck.

(12/2016)
Wine Enthusiast
91
Slightly damp, earthy and cool aromas introduce this traditional Rioja. In the mouth, pinchy tannins and tomatoey acidity pave the way for flavors of raisin, peppery spice and leafy herbs. A long steady finish is full of life. (MS)

(06/2017)
Wine Spectator
90
Savory flavors of tea, mushroom and leather frame dried cherry and orange peel notes in this traditional-style red. Features a smooth, polished texture, with light tannins and bright acidity. Harmonious and graceful. (TM)

(09/2016)
Jancis Robinson

Deep reddish garnet. Beautifully complex aromas: leather and undergrowth and yet still there is red fruit. A miracle. Silky and refined. Leathery, dry but there's no dryness on the finish. So complex. 18/20 points (JH)

(06/2017)

K&L Notes

López de Heredia has a well-earned reputation as the stalwart traditionalist of Rioja, along the lines of Mascarello in Barolo, Mayacamas in Napa Valley, or de Montille in Burgundy. What is arguably lost in all the attention paid to traditional winemaking, wine ageing and craft, is that López de Heredia pioneered the single vineyard wine in Rioja, a tradition they still honor with each of their wines. These wines hail from single vineyards—well-sited, glorious single vineyards. Viña Tondonia Reserva is always the most claret-like, with a sense of reserve and structure that really allows it to shine equally well upon release at table, or after some time in the cellar.

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Staff Reviews

By: Sal Rodriguez
8/25/2016
K&L Staff Member

I'm consistently awed by the fine wines the folks at Lopez de Heredia have been making. I guess, being in the business for about 140 years you learn a few things about your craft. This superbly complex wine is something really special. I've had their late 90's Tondonia and they all seem to age like Tom Cruise has aged - Slowly, comfortably, and hard to believe it's the age that it is. Some of the highest quality wines you'll find in the price category. Cheers!
By: Kirk Walker
8/24/2016
K&L Staff Member

Always a favorite, just one sniff takes me to a happy place! It has a perfect blend of Fresh and dried cherry fruit balanced with spice, leather, earth and just a hint of funk. It keeps you coming back just to try to tease apart all of the aromatic layers. It is already seamless on the palate, with all of the complexity from the nose played out against a dusty fine tannins and juicy acidity. This is the friendliest Tondonia I have tried. It will be very hard not to drink it while it is young, but this wine has places it still needs to go. So go big, buy deep you will not regret it.
By: Scott Beckerley
8/23/2016
K&L Staff Member

I have always been a Tondonia (and Bosconia) fan and this latest release only confirms why I love it so. The earthy, spicy, tobacco nose has everything I expect from this wine...mushrooms, savory spices and a hint of tanned leather. On the palate, it starts off with bright, red cherries and follows up with round tannins, which is a wonderful surprise. Quite supple for this wine! It still has a lingering finish and bright acidity. A simply wonderful bargain for under 40 dollars.
By: Joe Manekin
8/23/2016
K&L Staff Member

This is a fantastic Tondonia, one of my favorites at this relatively early stage. What I love about the 04 is it tension, it's taut fruit and acid forward personality. Starting from the top with the aromatics, there are some interesting notes of tar, bitter licorice and a slight suggestion of cumin as well. On the palate is where things become really interesting, as the fruit is fresh, incredibly so for having spent so long in barrel. Keep in mind these are used barrels, and not merely 2nd, 3rd or 4th year, but perhaps 16th or 20th year. This is the sort of wine I invariably want to drink, and cellar, in quantity. Don't miss it.