Viña Tondonia Tinto Reserva 2013
‘Gloriously unique’
96 points – Tim Atkin MW
Viña Tondonia Tinto, Reserva 2013 has just been released to critical acclaim, receiving a score of 95 points from the Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutiérrez and 96 points from Tim Atkin MW. Despite the 2013 being an incredibly tricky vintage (to put it mildly), this iconic Rioja producer, based in the town of Haro, has pulled another proverbial rabbit out of its magician’s hat.
Purity and elegance seem to be the name of the game here, with Gutiérrez observing the wine “..has developed a nose of dried roses and tar that transported me to Piemonte but soon took me back to the Lopez de Heredia cellars in Haro with the mixture of mushrooms, truffles, damp earth and decayed leaves, hints of brick dust and spice..”. He also had to point out the wine’s excellent value with the simple words “…and just look at the price” and he is not wrong – £162 per case in bond is terrific value for wine of this pedigree.
In this latest blog from Songbird Wines, we’ll look at the history of this legendary Rioja and what contributes to the wine’s unique character. We have a small allocation of this wonderful wine which you can view here. There is also a limited amount of the wine available in half bottles and magnums, so if you are interested in securing either format, or like some help or advice please call us on 01227 638290 or contact us here.
Bodegas R. López de Heredia
Founded in 1877 by Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, Snr López established the legendary Tondonia vineyards on the alluvial slopes overlooking the River Ebro on the cusp of the Alta and Alavesa wine sub-regions. A visionary and aromantic, his aspirations were impressive – not just for his wines, but architecturally as well. The López de Heredia portfolio extends over four autonomous vineyard areas, of which Tondonia is both the largest and the most famous.
The house style of oak usage is quite unique, be it with the large vessels used for fermentation or the Bordeaux-size barrels for maturation, of which there are over 14,000 in the Bodega’s labyrinthine cellars. Very little new oak is used and barrels are sourced from an in-house Cooperage to ensure cask consistency. The ageing regime tends towards the longer end of the scale, albeit within the limits prescribed by the laws of the Denominación. A further stylistic key is the extensive pre-release bottle ageing. Tondonia is released only when ready, which means wines are released with substantial age.
Viña Tondonia Tinto Reserva 2013: What the critics say
The critics have been unanimous so far in heralding Viña Tondonia 2013 . As mentioned above, Luis Gutiérrez of the Wine Advocate is a fan, saying:
“The Canonical 2013 Viña Tondonia Reserva has developed a nose of dried roses and tar that transported me to Piemonte but soon took me back to the Lopez de Heredia cellars in Haro with the mixture of mushrooms, truffles, damp earth and decayed leaves, hints of brick dust and spice…and look at the price.” 95 points, Robert Parker.com
And Tim Atkin holds nothing back commenting:
“Patrician is the word that springs to mind when you taste a Viña Tondonia red. Even in one of the worst Rioja vintages of the last 20 years, the quality of the terroir and Mercedes López de Heredia’s winemaking shine through. A wine that often benefits from decanting, this is a seamless cuvée of Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% each of Mazuelo and Graciano, with impressive focus and freshness, savoury, sinewy tannins and a red-fruited, earthy palate that flirts between sweetness and sourness. Gloriously unique.” 96 Points, Tim Atkin
So, we have a small allocation of Bottles, halves and magnums and you can order your bottles by clicking here now or by calling us on 01227 638290 or contacting us here. This is an early drinking vintage and one you’ll be able to pull the cork on not long after the wine arrives in June.
Jonny
