R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Tinto Gran Reserva 2001
- Region
- Spain » Rioja DOC
- Type
- red still, dry
- Producer
- Vintage
- 2001
- Grapes
- Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo
- Alcohol
- 13
- Sugar
- 2.5
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
The 2001 Viña Tondonia Tinto Gran Reserva is the most recent release. And they produce Gran Reserva wines only in exceptional years. For example, the previous release was Cosecha 1995. A blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo that fermented in their ancient oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in used barrels for ten years. López de Heredia filled 25,000 bottles in July 2012.
Ratings
With all due respect, I find it hard to drink Gran Reserva. Maybe it's not ready yet. Maybe I am not ready yet. In any case, it's a wonderful study case. After all, it's an old-school 22-year-old Rioja, a bottled time machine.
Gran Reserva 2001 offers a sophisticated bouquet of sweet spices, dry cigars, forest floor, musk, iodine and balsamic. Are there any fruits? Yes, something akin to dried bramble fruit. High acidity and mature tannin, well-structured and persistent. It required 5+ hours to open up. A marvellous wine, for sure.
About Producer
We are in Haro, the mythical capital of the Rioja Alta region. Its ascension to a prestigious winemaking region was ignited by phylloxera. A curious insect, brought by accident from North America to Europe, devasted vineyards across the continent. The Great French Wine Blight drove many winemakers to alternative regions. The French settled in Rioja because they found potential there.
Rioja, like many other regions, has seen its ups and downs, reflecting Spain's history. Though, having potential is not enough. The wine doesn't make itself. Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta was an enthusiastic student when French negociants visited Rioja in search of alternative grape sources. He followed their footsteps and fell in love with Haro as he saw potential in the combination of soil and climate. Around 1877 he began the design and construction of the complex, known today as the López de Heredia bodega, the oldest in Haro and one of the first three houses in the Rioja region.
López de Heredia is famous for being true to their heritage and house style. Unprecedented old-school wine, a time machine trapped in a bottle. Today, María José López de Heredia runs the bodega. She says "tradition" doesn't mean immobility or opposition to change. The world and nature follow their own rhythm. So they need to be flexible while maintaining eternal principles and criteria.
López de Heredia produces wines in four ranges - Viña Tondonia, Viña Bosconia, Viña Cubillo and Viña Gravonia. All are named after vineyards.
Viña Cubillo has only one wine - a red Crianza. The three years that Cubillo spends in cask, plus four to five years in bottle before release, exceeds the legal levels for even Gran Reserva.
Viña Gravonia also consists of only one wine - a white Crianza. It is 100% Viura from 24 ha in the Gravonia (Zaconia) vineyard near the banks of the river Ebro. This vineyard ticks every conceivable box to produce white grapes which achieve ripeness and intricate character. It is further enhanced by four years in a cask and at least the same again resting in a bottle before release.
Viña Bosconia has two variants - Reserva and Gran Reserva. The former appears in a Burgundy bottle. It could be a hint of the elegant yet full-bodied wine within. The Gran Reserva is made only in exceptional years and is released only 20 years after the vintage.
Viña Tondonia is the most famous and largest set of vineyards of López de Heredia. It's made up of 100 ha of red and white grapes. Five wines are produced: Tinto Reserva, Tinto Gran Reserva, Blanco Reserva, Blanco Gran Reserva and Rosado Gran Reserva.