Tasting Notes
"96 points - The 2004 Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia is a delicate, unique white wine crafted in the old-school Rioja style. It showcases the enduring legacy of the Tondonia Vineyard, situated along the meander of the Ebro River. Aged for a remarkable ten years in oak barrels before being bottled in 2014 and held in the catacomb-like cellar of López de Heredia, this amber-hued wine reveals a complex array of aromas. Notes of hops, honey and hazelnut intertwine with hints of resin, dried apricot and tangerine. On the palate, it offers a dry, silky texture with a chalky undertone, delivering a slightly concentrated character reminiscent of sherry. This wine is a delicious oddity, seamlessly blending the past and present of white winemaking in Rioja. Drink 2024-2032" Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous.com
More Info
To step back inside the López de Heredia winery is to step back in time. Founded in 1877, and little changed since, López de Heredia might not be quite the oldest winery in Rioja, but they are certainly the most tradition bound and least changed. You read a lot of marketing fluff about ‘family winemaking tradition’, but at López de Heredia, it’s real. Maria José López de Heredia and her winemaker sister, Mercedes, couldn’t care less about wine fashions. They've been producing wines in the style their great grandfather did, where their wines slumber in their deep cellars for many years before release. The quest for perfection is of utmost importance, and no wine is released until it is ready.