Review: Lopez Heredia 1999 Vina Tondonia
- Feb 23, 2015
- 1 min read
The low-down: The R Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva Blanco is the 3rd in our series of Rioja's leading traditional blends, and our first white rioja. R Lopez de Heredia was founded in 1877 and since then has remained true to the traditional style of Rioja.
Rioja stands out for its size and its affordability. The region has 62,000 ha under vine spanning seven rivers and three different administrative regions. Rioja has also experienced considerable growth over the last 20 years: from an annual production of half a million barrels to 1.2 million today. What we like about Rioja is that it offers the opportunity to access aged wines at affordable prices.
Indeed, we picked this up for 21 Euros last November in Spain, impressively cheap for a 16 year old leading white wine. The blend is 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia. Only 800 cases of this flagship white is produced a year. The 1999 vintage was officially declared "Buena" by the Rioja Consejo Regulador. This bottle has extensive barrel and bottling age - curious to see what it's going to be like!
The take: A thick, leggy, golden appearnace. Very transparent. A curious savoury nose! Green tomatoes, peach, malt, cheese. On the palate, smooth, sweet, luscious - with hints of caramelized sugar, pear and earth.
In closing: Unique, smooth, sweet.
Rating: 7 out of 10.
Fact corner:
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja (DOC) Reserva
Producer: R Lopez de Heredia
Vintage: 1999
Grape: Viura, Malvasia
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Serving temperature: 14-16°
Price range: Mid-range
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