R. LOPEZ DE HEREDIA Rioja Tinto 'Vina Tondonia' Reserva DOCa 2013 Bottle

Description

Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva Tinto 2013 is a medium-bodied, blended red wine from the iconic López de Heredia estate, which has been producing traditional wines since the late 19th century. This vintage, consisting of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo, has garnered significant acclaim, receiving 97 points from Vinous and 95 points from both James Suckling and The Wine Advocate. Vinous praises its restrained black fruit, wild herbs, and elegant spice, resulting in a refined finish. The Wine Advocate highlights its complex bouquet of dried roses, earthy notes, and truffles. This exquisite wine is ideal for enjoying from 2025 to 2040, showcasing the classic character of Tondonia and its remarkable aging potential.

*****

Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva Tinto 2013 is a medium-bodied , blended red wine from the Rioja region of Spain. Lopez de Heredia is one of the most celebrated names in Rioja winemaking, producing steadfastly traditional Rioja wines from its iconic bodega in Haro since the late 19th century. American oak is preferred to French, while the estate`s wines undergo extended maturation in barrel – from six years up to 10 years for the Gran Reservas – before release. 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

:VINOUS 97 points
The 2013 Reserva Viña Tondonia is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo, grown in the calcareous soils of the Tondonia meander in Rioja Alta. Aged extensively in American oak, it offers restrained black fruit, wild herbs, balsamic hints and sweet spices with gentle cedar and vanilla notes. Medium-bodied with chalky grip and a layered, tertiary finish, this is a benchmark classic—refined, enduring and unmistakably Tondonia. - Joaquín Hidalgo

THE WINE ADVOCATE 95 points
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Drink Date: 2025 - 2040
The canonical red 2013 Viña Tondonia Reserva has a developed nose of dried roses and tar that transported me to Piamonte but soon took me back to the López de Heredia cellars in Haro with the mixture of mushrooms, truffles, damp earth and decayed leaves, hints of brick dust and spice. 2013 was a rainy year, with 753 liters of it, well above the average of 530 liters in Haro. It was also a cooler year, and the ripeness was slow, so they didn't start picking until the seventh of October, but they had to hurry up because of the risk of botrytis. The crop was not so big, because they suffered from hail in July that affected the Viña Tondonia, coupled with strong winds that broke many branches. The breakdown in 2013 comes to 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in old oak vats with indigenous yeasts. All the wines age in old American oak barrels in their caves, in this case for no less than six years. It comes in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.4 and 6.6 grams of acidity, perhaps a lighter vintage with higher acidity that translates into a lot of energy, a fine-boned palate and very fine tannins with a vibrant finish. 190,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2021. It should be released in the spring of 2025, almost 12 years after the harvest. And look at the price...

JAMES SUCKLING 95 points
What a juicy wine. Medium-bodied, showing lots of citrusy allure to the savory plums with a touch of leather. Very bright and succulent. The tannins are firm but resolved. Really long. So delicious and irresistible now but will hold for sure. - Zekun Shuai, Senior Editor