Lopez de Heredia - Rioja Viña Tondonia Reserva 2013

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2013 Viña Tondonia Reserva red has a complex nose of dried roses and tar that transported me to Piedmont but quickly brought me back to the López de Heredia cellars in Haro with its blend of mushrooms, truffles, damp earth, and decaying leaves, along with notes of brick dust and spices. The 2013 growing season was a rainy one, with 753 liters of rainfall—well above the average of 530 liters in Haro. The year was also cooler, and ripening was slow, so the harvest didn’t begin until October 7, but the team had to work quickly due to the risk of botrytis. The harvest was not very abundant, as it suffered from a hailstorm in July that struck the Viña Tondonia vineyard, as well as from strong winds that broke many branches. The blend for 2013 consists of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho, and 5% Graciano and Mazuelo, which were fermented in old oak vats using native yeasts. All wines are aged in old American oak barrels in their cellars—in this case, for no less than six years. It has an alcohol content of 13%, a pH of 3.4, and 6.6 grams of acidity. This may be a lighter vintage with higher acidity, resulting in plenty of energy, a refined palate, and very fine tannins with a vibrant finish. 190,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in November 2021. It is expected to be released in the spring of 2025, nearly 12 years after the harvest. And just look at the price... 2025–2040

Vinous

About the wine:

The 2013 Reserva Viña Tondonia is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo, grown in the limestone soils of the Tondonia meander in the Rioja Alta. Aged primarily in American oak barrels, it offers subtle aromas of black fruit, wild herbs, balsamic notes, and sweet spices, with light hints of cedar and vanilla. Medium-bodied, with a chalky texture and a layered tertiary finish, it is a benchmark classic—refined, long-lasting, and unmistakably Tondonia. 2025–2055

James Suckling