Viña Tondonia
If there is one trend that will mark 2023, besides the great popularity of Champagne, it is the revaluation of vintage Rioja. It happens regularly that 20 years after the first assessment, Riojas get better scores than they did at the time, sometimes up to 10 Parker points more.
The area in northern Spain traditionally owes its fame not only to the centuries of wine production, but also to the early arrival of a good infrastructure that enabled the area to overcome the damage caused by phylloxera.
For the winemakers, the current recognition of the wood-aged wine is of course wonderful. In addition, there is a new group of winemakers who make fruitier wines with less wood aging than tradition demanded and who find a new audience of enthusiasts on their own merits. The price-pleasure ratio is still very favorable for the buyer for wines from the Rioja region.
A family that continues the traditional line is the passionate young generation of Lopez de Heredia y Landeta. As the wine was made on the estate 130 years ago, they still make the wine with conviction. Characteristic of Rioja in the classic style is that it contains less alcohol than the new style wines, has higher acidity and is suitable for long storage. The white, red or rosé wines are issued by the family after 10 years as Reserva or - if the vintage is exceptional - also as Gran Reserva. A Gran Reserva can mature at the domain for 12 to 20 years before being released on the market, the whites often even longer than the reds.
Wine lovers reward the patience of the Lopez family. Shortly before the turn of the century, wine was mainly destined for the national market, but now half of the country's harvest finds its way beyond the national borders. The white, red and rosé wines regularly receive very good ratings from Parker. The family has several vineyards, and the most loved ones come from the Vina Tondonia vineyard.
In white, we have the legendary 99 Parker points from 2001 and also the formidable vintages 2010 and 2011, further at this auction supplemented by a 1991 with perfect provenance, giving the opportunity to discover how these wines evolve over time.
For rosé lovers, there is also 2012 Gran Reserva, described as 'The finest vintage of the modern era', awarded with 96+ Parker.
At this auction we offer you the Gran Reserva 1978, 1987 and 2001 in red. The latter achieved 98 Parker points and was described as the perfect blend of body and finesse. The 1978 and 1987 have dated ratings and the question is whether the current rating would be the same as before.
The next red Gran Reserva, 2004, will be on the market in 2024 after 20 years of aging. Louis Gutiérrez of Parker writes the following about it:
The area in northern Spain traditionally owes its fame not only to the centuries of wine production, but also to the early arrival of a good infrastructure that enabled the area to overcome the damage caused by phylloxera.
For the winemakers, the current recognition of the wood-aged wine is of course wonderful. In addition, there is a new group of winemakers who make fruitier wines with less wood aging than tradition demanded and who find a new audience of enthusiasts on their own merits. The price-pleasure ratio is still very favorable for the buyer for wines from the Rioja region.
A family that continues the traditional line is the passionate young generation of Lopez de Heredia y Landeta. As the wine was made on the estate 130 years ago, they still make the wine with conviction. Characteristic of Rioja in the classic style is that it contains less alcohol than the new style wines, has higher acidity and is suitable for long storage. The white, red or rosé wines are issued by the family after 10 years as Reserva or - if the vintage is exceptional - also as Gran Reserva. A Gran Reserva can mature at the domain for 12 to 20 years before being released on the market, the whites often even longer than the reds.
Wine lovers reward the patience of the Lopez family. Shortly before the turn of the century, wine was mainly destined for the national market, but now half of the country's harvest finds its way beyond the national borders. The white, red and rosé wines regularly receive very good ratings from Parker. The family has several vineyards, and the most loved ones come from the Vina Tondonia vineyard.
In white, we have the legendary 99 Parker points from 2001 and also the formidable vintages 2010 and 2011, further at this auction supplemented by a 1991 with perfect provenance, giving the opportunity to discover how these wines evolve over time.
For rosé lovers, there is also 2012 Gran Reserva, described as 'The finest vintage of the modern era', awarded with 96+ Parker.
At this auction we offer you the Gran Reserva 1978, 1987 and 2001 in red. The latter achieved 98 Parker points and was described as the perfect blend of body and finesse. The 1978 and 1987 have dated ratings and the question is whether the current rating would be the same as before.
The next red Gran Reserva, 2004, will be on the market in 2024 after 20 years of aging. Louis Gutiérrez of Parker writes the following about it:
“I tasted (and swallowed) the 2004 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva, and I can tell you I cannot wait for the wine to be released in 2024...”