2013 | R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva | Rioja

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. Drink: 2025-2055. 

97 Pts Vinous

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 Pts Tim Atkin