Bodegas López de Heredia Viña Tondonia - Tinto Reserva 2007

Bodegas López de Heredia Viña Tondonia - Tinto Reserva 2007 (90 TSW)

Old school Rioja. Viña Tondonia is a historic winery, the first in Haro and the third in la Rioja (Alta)
This wine is a blend of four different grape varieties: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. The harvest is carried out manually during the month of October. Viña Tondonia Reserva is aged for 6 years in oak barrels from the wineries own cooper, and undergoes 2 rackings per year. Finally the wine is clarified using fresh egg from the estate, and is bottled without being filtered. The wine then spends at least 6 months in the bottle before being placed onto the market.

This wine is still very young and very old at the same time (6 years barrels)

In the glass a deep garnet red color with brownish rim.
On the medium (little shy but complex) nose aromas of dark cherries, dried blackberries and barrique with hints of vanilla, herbs and tobacco.
On the palate dry, medium bodied with medium acidity and medium+ tannins. The finish is long and persistent with dark cherries and vanilla. Still 5 bottles left to retaste in 2 or 3 years.

Pairing with white meat, semi-mature cheese, Iberian ham, game birds, cold meat, mushrooms and grilled red meats.

This classic Bodega from the Rioja has a long history. When French winegrowers and traders came to the Rioja in 1877 (hoping to solve the problems with grape lice in France), it was Don Rafael Lopez de Heredia who started his own bodega in the Rioja with the knowledge of these French winegrowers.

Since 1913 their most famous wine has been the "Vina Tondonia", whose grapes come from the famous "Tondonia" vineyard. This famous wine is a real traditional Rioja that is actually still made the same as 100 years ago! Although the labels have not changed since the beginning.

All vineyards together cover an area of 170 hectares with an average monthly production of 800,000 kilos of grapes used for the wines of the highest quality.