95 Point Vina Tondonia, Reserva, 2013 - £27 per bottle IB (excluding duty and vat)

No one in the world makes wine like Lopez de Heredia. The iconic Rioja producer have just released the ‘latest’ iteration of their famed Tondonia Reserva, the 2013 vintage… No, that is not a typo. The grapes were harvested twelve years ago; then, following fermentation, spent six years in barrel and six years in bottle. Therefore, maturing for six years longer than is required for a Gran Reserva, let alone a Reserva. Tasting Tondonia, of any age, is a unique thrill. It feels like you have been transported back in time to taste a piece of history – As though every bottle is a 75cl Tardis adorned with golden twine.

The kaleidoscopic flavour and aroma profile of the 2013 is beguiling. Ceps and truffle waft immediately from the glass but are then subsumed by fresh fruits: redcurrant, cherry, sour plum, blackcurrant and stewed blueberries. Pipe tobacco, black tea, damp earth and hedgerow brambles appear on the mid palate with a smattering of subtle clove, nutmeg, dried flowers, orange peel as well as a hint of cocoa nibs. On the finish there is a piquant meaty note with a little iodine, dry blood and salty crushed oyster shell that lingers long after the wine has gone. This is a supreme, classic Tondonia. Still youthful, with abundant fruit and only just starting to show early signs of tertiary maturation. The wine, as ever, is released 'ready to drink', though the initiated will know that they are capable of almost indefinite cellaring.

The Tondonia vineyard is a warm single site that sits between Rioja Alta and Alavesa on clay and limestone soils at an altitude of 480m, further enhanced by proximity to the banks of the river Ebro. The Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo used are fermented in ancient giant oak tanks, before supremely long elevage in used American oak (made in-house) and in bottle.

“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...”

95 Points, Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate (Tasted Feb 2025) - Drink 2025-2040