The red flagship 2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva was inspired by the vineyards of the Médoc but produced with local grapes, 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, which achieved 13% alcohol in 2006. It always matures in used American oak barriques for some six years. The oldest of all the reds I tasted, it was also the one with more freshness, which speaks to the quality of the vineyard. This takes the lion's share of the 400,000 bottles the winery produces, with some 220,000 bottles filled over a period of 12 consecutive days in May 2014.
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R. Lopez De Heredia Tondonia Reserva 2006 750ml
Rated 95 by Wine Advocate
The red flagship 2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva was inspired by the vineyards of the Médoc but produced with local grapes, 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, which achieved 13% alcohol in 2006. It always matures in used American oak barriques for some six years. The oldest of all the reds I tasted, it was also the one with more freshness, which speaks to the quality of the vineyard. This takes the lion's share of the 400,000 bottles the winery produces, with some 220,000 bottles filled over a period of 12 consecutive days in May 2014.
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Rated 94 by James Suckling
This is a remarkably lively wine for a 12-year-old Rioja with notes of licorice and dried cherries and a very elegant tannin structure that runs through the medium to full body of this red like a silk thread. The dry finish is long and polished. Drink or hold.
Vivid red. Highly perfumed scents of ripe red currant, cherry liqueur, pipe tobacco, leather and rose oil, along with a hint of coconut in the background. Juicy and precise on the palate, offering deep-pitched red fruit preserve, spicecake and floral pastille flavors and a hint of mocha. The silky, sweet, impressively long finish features excellent clarity and lingering spice and smoke nuances.
Rated 92 by Wine Spectator
This red remains fresh and juicy, featuring cherry, berry and licorice flavors mingling with smoke, coffee and mineral notes. Light, firm tannins and orange peel acidity keep this balanced. Drink now through 2021. 18,333 cases made, 4,800 cases imported.
Don Rafael López de Heredia acquired the Tondonia vineyard from a group of clergy in 1913. Situated on the right bank of the river Ebro, in Rioja Alta, it stretches over 247 acres; the soil is alluvial clay with a high proportion of limestone. There are 4 varieties of red grapes planted in this vineyard—Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacho—as well as a few acres of white grapes (Viura and Malvasia) planted in the whitest soils, from which R. López de Heredia makes their Tondonia Blanco.