R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2011

Jay Kline

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three days. Consistently enjoyable throughout, but best after several hours of air and through Day 3. The wine pours, a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. No signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with expressive notes of ripe and dried cherry, plums, toasted coconut, fresh dill, cedar chest, and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose however, the fruit is much more tart. The finish is long and tangy. A textbook example of old-school Rioja. Lovely. Drink now with patience and through 2036.

Matt Perlman

Never fails to deliver. This vintage is structured but accessible, and it’s instructive to taste next to other producers to appreciate the unobtrusive oak treatment which frames rather than overpowers.

Matt Perlman

Young, give it time

"Odedi"

#AgedWineTuesday. When in Rioja, drink Rioja. Reddish in color with a wide reddish rim. Nose of red fruits with earth and mildew notes. Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel. Elegant and restrained. On the palate red fruits with earth, light wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, light wet leaves and peppercorn. Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries. This recent release of this Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now. A good quality wine. Easy drinking, and a good food wine that I paired with dried meats and crackers. This 11 year old feels so very young still, and will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years. Needs time to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle too. A blend of 70% Tempranillo with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. Aged for 6 years in used American oak barrels. 13% alcohol by volume. 92 points. $60.

Andrew Cullimore

Medium ruby garnet , quite wide light garnet rim. Quite round sweet red cherry , spiced strawberry , blackberry , quite fruit driven still . With some tobacco and earthy hints . On the palate this is more red fruited , quite spiced cherry and strawberry with iodine hints and seaside notes . Good fresh acidity and quite rounded ripe tannins . Not particularly dense or intense on the palate , but well balanced and elegant with a reasonable , iron filling tinged finish . This is showing well now , and will continue to do so over the next 5-8 years. From magnum

Chris Buggy

In its prime, tannins are rounded, good body. Just a little too much vanilla/oak for my taste.

Alvaro Bustillos

Cena ncba con aliados

romo

Much respect here, but also still much American trees.

Raul Puga

So good. I need to drink more from this producer

Daniel M

You're not 40 every day and I wanted a special wine to celebrate that special day. Fortunately the wine bar / open kitchen restaurant we went to had that special wine, amongst 400 references, that I had been desperate to taste for a long while. I didn't take notes so it's all from memory, but the nose is what I liked the most. Coconut notes, leather, cherries, coffee... I spent probably 15 minutes in total smelling that wine. The palate was great with some acid drive, some matter but not in an overwhelming way, some gentle, well integrated tannins in the rear, before a long finish with savoury notes, red fruits, coconut and that gentle grainy tannic layer. A great experience to top up a day to remember. Oh and if you happen to be in Warsaw, Poland and be looking for a great wine place, make sure to check out Kontakt - wino & bistro.