Category:
 
Red Wines
Sub-Category:  
 
Red Wines
Producer:
 
Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia
Label Name:
 
Rioja Tondonia Gran Reserva Red
Vintage:
 
2001
Country:
 
Spain
Region:
 
Rioja Alta, Rioja
Volume:
 
750ml
ABV:
 
13%
Grape(s):
 
Tempranillo, Garnacha (Garnacho), Graciano, Mazuelo
Acidity:
 
4
Tannins:
 
3
Sweetness:
 
1
Body:
 
4
Length:
 
4
Aroma Intensity:
 
4
Best Temperature:
 
16-18°C

Awards/Ratings
Wine Advocate 98 (Luis Gutiérrez, Oct 2020); James Suckling 97; earlier Penín scores (circa 2004) ~94; bottled after egg-white fining (July 2012)

Tasting Note
Complex tertiary-driven Rioja: bramble and ripe plum, sweet spice, leather, cedar and cigar ash, balsamic herbs, fine chalky tannins and saline minerality leading to a long, savory finish.

Food Pairing
Western: roast lamb, grilled or roast beef, game, mushrooms, aged Manchego and cured ham. Asian: soy-braised beef, Peking duck, Korean BBQ, mushroom hotpot or stir-fries with umami, char siu.

Production Method
Fermented in large, old oak vats with indigenous yeasts; matured long in used American oak barrels (~10 years); fined with egg whites and given extended bottle ageing.

Vineyard Info
R. López de Heredia (family-run historic estate in Haro). Viña Tondonia vineyard planted c.1913–14; renowned for traditional, low-intervention viticulture and very long cellar ageing.