Tasting Notes
This is a stunningly beautiful bottle of mature Gran Reserva Rioja, only made in great years. The 2001 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva is the follow-up of the 1995. "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." James Suckling. "Described as one of Spain’s true first growths. Old school Rioja from a legendary producer. Pure silk on the palate. Stewed strawberries and sour cherries and antique rosewood bookcases. Hints of tobacco, balsamic and dried mushroom, sweet currants and dried cranberries. The old American barrels have left an echo of toasty, dusty vanilla and wood spice."(97 points, Tim Atkin MW)
More Info
"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! (LG) " Robert Parker's Wine Advocate