
67Wine
Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva Organic 2012 750ml
Light fresh texture with notes of vanilla and dried berry aromas.


Expert Review - Vintage 2012
James Suckling 96 Points | Savory berries, plums, iron, minerals, tobacco, ink and blood oranges. Very bright, juicy and structured, with sensational balance, aged savoriness and brightness that are typical of Tondonia reds. Beautiful now.
Vinous 95 Points | The 2012 Viña Tondonia is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnac...Show More >
Expert Review - Vintage 2012
James Suckling 96 Points | Savory berries, plums, iron, minerals, tobacco, ink and blood oranges. Very bright, juicy and structured, with sensational balance, aged savoriness and brightness that are typical of Tondonia reds. Beautiful now.
Vinous 95 Points | The 2012 Viña Tondonia is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, cultivated on the meander of the Ebro River in Rioja Alta. This garnet wine reveals aromas of ash and plum marmalade, with a faintly herbal core and hints of oaky cedar. Dry and lean, the fairly chalky texture lingers long, concluding with a compact, flavorful and lasting finish. The 2012 is a beautiful old-school Rioja.
The Wine Advocate 95 Points| The 2012 Viña Tondonia Reserva comes from a very dry year, with 25% less rain than the average (at the time), resulting in lower yields of very healthy grapes that delivered wines with nice balance between alcohol and polyphenols, making it very apt for the aging in barrel. It had a slightly longer élevage in barrel, six years. The wine is aromatic with a developed profile, spicy and tertiary (forest floor, a touch of brick dust and iodine), complex and nuanced. The palate is full and round, with polished tannins and a long, dry finish. It has a textbook Tondonia nose and profile. 250,000 bottles produced.
Tim Atkin 95 Points | Viña Tondonia can seem austere in its (comparative) youth, especially when compared with sweeter Bosconia, but this is a wine that will reward patience. Picked earlier to assuage the effects of a warmer site, this blend of Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% each of Graciano and Mazuelo is structured and focused, with redcurrant, forest floor and green herb notes. Give it time. Winemaker Description Vibrant red leading slightly towards amber. Light fresh texture with notes of vanilla and dried berry aromas. Rich, very dry, smooth, developed. Firm tannins and good balance. Blend: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 10% Graciano and Manzuelo.
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Wine Information:
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Sub-Region:
Appellation: Rioja
Variety: Tempranillo
Type: Reds
Size: 750ml
Choose when time is of the essence
Vibrant red leading slightly towards amber. Light fresh texture with notes of vanilla, red cherry and dried berry aromas. Rich, plush, very dry, smooth and developed yet still fresh, with firm tannins, good balance and great length.
Expert Ratings - Vintage 2011
James Suckling 95 Points | A traditional beauty that effuses iron, warm earth and savory tobacco leaves, together with plums, spices and orange zest. This is juicy and still tight, with firm but savory tannins. Medium-weight and quite zesty in texture, as is the case with the other López de Heredia reds tasted this session. Drink now or hold. (2011).
Robert Parker 94 Points | The 2011 Viña Tondonia Reserva is darker and shows riper fruit, a rounder palate and some dusty tannins. A year of ripeness, concentration and tannin, the wine is powerful with the finesse of Tondonia. Tasting this next to the textbook 2010 Tondonia revealed how this has more muscle and a wider back and the 2010 epitomizes the finesse and elegance. (2011).
Expert Ratings - Vintage 2009
James Suckling 97 Points | 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. (2009)
Robert Parker 93 Points | 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. (2009)
Wine & Spirits 93 Points | From the López de Heredia family’s prime vineyard on a meander of the Ebro just outside of Haro, Tondonia is a blend of tempranillo with 20 percent garnacha along with small amounts of graciano and mazuelo. It’s a little. (2009)