R. Lopez de Heredia Rioja Vina Tondonia Reserva 2013 (750 ml)

R. Lopez de Heredia's Vina Tondonia Red Reserva is made from estate-grown Tempranillo, Garnacho, Graciano, and Mazuelo. The producer ages the wine for six years in barrel, racks it twice each year, fines it with fresh egg whites, and bottles it unfiltered.

The producer describes the Reserva as vibrant red moving toward amber, with dried berry and vanilla aromas. Rich, very dry, smooth, and developed on the palate, it carries firm tannins and balanced structure, reflecting the traditional profile associated with Vina Tondonia.

Critic Ratings - 2013 Vintage

James Suckling Review - Rated 96: Aromas of rust, game and dried flowers, with a fresh, fleshy quality that is very appealing. The tannins are highly polished, supple and enveloping, supported by lively acidity. Nervy, with delicate, ethereal fruit. Drinkable now, yet with the structure to evolve beautifully.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate Review - Rated 95: The canonical red 2013 Viña Tondonia Reserva has a developed nose of dried roses and tar that transported me to Piamonte but soon took me back to the López de Heredia cellars in Haro with the mixture of mushrooms, truffles, damp earth and decayed leaves, hints of brick dust and spice. 2013 was a rainy year in Haro. It was also a cooler year, and the ripeness was slow, so they didn't start picking until the seventh of October, but they had to hurry up because of the risk of botrytis. The crop was not so big, because they suffered from hail in July that affected the Viña Tondonia, coupled with strong winds that broke many branches. The breakdown in 2013 comes to 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in old oak vats with indigenous yeasts. All the wines age in old American oak barrels in their caves, in this case for no less than six years. It comes in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.4 and 6.6 grams of acidity, perhaps a lighter vintage with higher acidity that translates into a lot of energy, a fine-boned palate and very fine tannins with a vibrant finish. It was bottled in November 2021. It should be released in the spring of 2025, almost 12 years after the harvest. And look at the price...