1994 Lopez de Heredia "Viña Tondonia" Blanco Gran Reserva Rioja
SKU #1209497
96 points
Wine Advocate
Released even later than the red, the 1994 Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva, the most classical of all whites in existence in Spain, is a blend of 90% Viura and 10% Malvasía Riojana fermented in old (ancient!) oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in well-seasoned American oak barrels for ten years (yes, you read it correctly, ten years in barrique). It was bottled unfiltered in March 2005. This is by far the most complex white, with notes of curry and meat broth (think umami), that are complex, subtle and aromatic, plus show developing notes of mushrooms, autumn forest, aromatic herbs and hints of petrol and perhaps–and this might not be politically correct–traces of asparagus and mustard! The palate reveals a very compact wine, very intense, round but focused, with high-pitched flavors, great acidity and length. The wine is a chameleon, keeps changing in the glass, while the notes of green nuts, curry and morels made me think of a wine from the Jura. After drinking bottles from the 1940s, 50s and 60s, I can promise you this wine will outlive most of us, as the whites age even longer than the reds. 8,800 bottles exist. (LG)
(4/2015)
K&L Notes
This is the current, stateside release of the incomparable, Gran Reserva white wine from R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia, the classic standard bearer of quality, traditional Rioja, produced in the same bodega founded by Rafael Lopez de Heredia y Landeta in the late 19th century. Composed of mainly old vine Viura with roughly 15% old vine Malvasia from the rotunda shaped Viña Tondonia, this wine is fermented in decades old, huge oak "tinas" before being racked to old American oak barrels and aged for years prior to bottling, at which point it ages some more. They are in no rush to make this wine, just as you should be in no hurry to drink this amazing elixir - though I would rush to buy. As demand has increased and supplies remain the same, the availability has decreased and prices have steadily inched upwards for these classics. (Joe Manekin, K&L Spanish & Portuguese wine buyer)
