R. LOPEZ DE HEREDIA Rioja Tinto 'Vina Tondonia' Gran Reserva DOCa 2001 Bottle

Description

IN BRIEF
Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva 2001 is an exceptional wine, embodying the rich tradition of the Rioja region. This vintage received 98 points from The Wine Advocate and 97 points from both James Suckling and Decanter. Designated as excellent by the DOC Rioja Board, the wine benefits from a dry summer, ensuring the grapes arrived in perfect condition. Composed of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho, and 5% each of Graciano and Mazuelo, it presents a complex nose featuring sweet spices, underbrush, and ripe bramble fruit. The palate is velvety, supported by fine-grained tannins, leading to a long, sapid finish. This exquisite wine can be enjoyed now or cellared for many years, with a drinking window extending until 2040.

ABOUT THIS WINE
R. López de Heredia's Rioja Tinto 'Viña Tondonia' Gran Reserva DOCa 2001 is an exceptional representation of the vintage, which was rated as EXCELLENT by the DOC Rioja Board. The year experienced a notably dry summer, which safeguarded the grapes from any fungal diseases, resulting in fruit that arrived at the winery in impeccable health. Harvesting of white grapes began on October 8, followed by red grapes on the 15th, and was completed by October 29, under relatively favourable weather conditions. The grapes exhibited excellent maturation, slightly surpassing the average for the Rioja Alta area, indicative of its unique terroir and altitude. The resulting wines demonstrate great balance and significant aging potential.

Receiving 98 points from The Wine Advocate, this Gran Reserva reflects harmony and elegance, attributed to its meticulous vinification. Composed of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, and 5% each from Graciano and Mazuelo, the wine underwent fermentation in century-old oak vats using indigenous yeasts, followed by a decade of maturation in used barrels. With alcohol content at 13%, a pH of 3.4, and 6.4 grams of tartaric acidity, the nose reveals young characteristics, reminiscent of a much younger wine, enriched by notes of sweet spices, bramble fruit, and a hint of tertiary complexity. The palate offers a velvety texture with fine-grained tannins, underpinned by the limestone soil, leading to a savoury and almost salty finish, suggesting that this wine will continue to evolve beautifully over the next few decades.

James Suckling awarded it 97 points, highlighting its intriguing nose of ripe plums, leather, and cedar, alongside fine tannins. Decanter also rated it 97 points, emphasising its youthful qualities, medium body, and layers of red fruit, asserting its potential for many more years of greatness. With 25,000 bottles produced, the 2001 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva is a stunning testament to the craftsmanship and tradition of López de Heredia, making it an exquisite addition to any wine collection.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VINTAGE
:Year qualified as EXCELLENT by the DOC Rioja Board. The quality was extraordinary due to a very dry summer that prevented any fungal diseases. The grape arrived to the winery in perfect health conditions. We started harvesting the white grapes on Monday October the 8th and the red grapes on the 15th which is the average date for harvesting in Rioja Alta. The harvest went by with a relatively good weather and finished on October 29th lasting 21 days. The grapes showed a good maturation of the fruit and even a bit higher than the average for the Rioja Alta area, which for its altitude and north latitude has a limited cultivation mostly due to the sun influence. These wines have a great balance and will be able to age in bottle improving even more.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 98 points
Drink 2021 - 2040
The 2001 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva is the follow-up of the 1995. There is a sense of harmony and elegance, of nuance and subtleness that wasn't quite the same in the Bosconia, as comparing both wines is inevitable. They started picking the red grapes the 15th of October, and the last grapes were picked the 29th of October with good weather. The grapes ripened properly and thoroughly, and the wine has great balance for a long aging in bottle. This is 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in their 153-year-old oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in used barrels for 10 years. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.4 and 6.4 grams of acidity (tartaric). The nose shows young (tasting it blind, you'd guess a 10-year old wine, not a 20-year-old wine!). It has a nose of sweet spices, underbrush and cigar ash, somewhat balsamic, bramble fruit with perfect ripeness, integrated and young but starting to show some tertiary complexity. The palate is velvety and medium-bodied, with fine-grained, chalky tannins denoting a limestone soil that brings finesse and texture and a sapid, tasty, almost salty finish. This is going to make a beautiful bottle of old Rioja in 30 years' time! 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled after being fined with egg whites in July 2012. - Luis Gutiérrez

JAMES SUCKLING ***** 97 Points
11 Oct, 2020 – Wow. This is really something on the nose, offering ripe plums that are highlighted with old and used leather, walnut and cedar, reminiscent of the interior of a fine vintage sports car. Full-bodied with very fine tannins and delicious, ripe fruit that continues on for minutes. Tile and dark berry at the end. Still tight and fresh for the vintage. A great wine. Drink or hold.

DECANTER 97 points
Tasted by: Sarah Jane Evans MW
(at Top 20 Rioja Gran Reserva tasting, 07 Dec 2022)
Part of Rioja gran reserva: my top 20
Drinking Window: 2023 - 2080
María José López de Heredia and her family are custodians of a remarkable way of living in the wine world, resisting the pressures to do things differently and to release their wines before their time. This remains the most Recent Gran reserva following on the from the 1995. Take time to appreciate its qualities in the glass: the youthful aspect; the medium body; the layers of red fruits and mature tannins. Nothing to suggest this is already 21 years old. It's clear that it has many majestic years ahead.

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ABOUT R. LOPEZ DE HEREDIA
R. López de Heredia is a prestigious and historic winery located in the Rioja region of Spain, renowned for its traditional winemaking methods and high-quality wines. Founded in 1877 by Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, the winery has maintained a reputation for producing exceptional Rioja wines, particularly known for their depth, complexity, and aging potential.

Situated in Haro, Rioja Alta, the winery benefits from the unique terroir of the region, which includes ideal soil types and a Mediterranean climate. R. López de Heredia is celebrated for adhering to traditional winemaking techniques, often eschewing modern technologies in favour of natural fermentation, the use of large oak barrels, and extended aging processes. Many of their wines are aged for several years in the bottle before release.

The estate produces several iconic labels, including Viña Tondonia, Viña Bosque, and Viña Cubillo. These wines are typically a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Graciano, showcasing the unique characteristics of the Rioja region. R. López de Heredia is known for its consistent quality, with a strong focus on producing wines that reflect their terroir. Their wines are praised for their elegance, complexity, and ability to age gracefully.

In addition to their winemaking practices, the winery is committed to sustainable viticulture and maintaining biodiversity within their vineyards, focusing on healthy vineyard management to preserve the natural ecosystem. Visitors to R. López de Heredia can experience tours and tastings, allowing them to explore the cellars, learn about the winemaking process, and sample a range of their exceptional wines.

Overall, R. López de Heredia not only represents a revered name in the world of Spanish wine but also serves as a symbol of tradition and craftsmanship in winemaking.