R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2012
Available at 4 stores
Ratings on Delectable
Sipping Fine Wine 
Blend of mostly Tempranillo with about equal amounts of Garnacho, Graciano and Manzuelo, deep Ruby with a graceful bouquet of berry fruits, cigar box spice with fresh earthy tones, a traditional Rioja, still reticent. On the silky smooth palate, elegant with layers of flavors of ripe blackberry and cherry, tobacco, smoky cedar, dark fruit, vanilla spice, very well balanced with fine soft tannins and a clean structure ending with a nice long chalky earthy character. Delicious! Still has room to age.
Blend of mostly Tempranillo with about equal amounts of Garnacho, Graciano and Manzuelo, deep Ruby with a graceful bouquet of berry fruits, cigar box spice with fresh earthy tones, a traditional Rioja, still reticent. On the silky smooth palate, elegant with layers of flavors of ripe blackberry and cherry, tobacco, smoky cedar, dark fruit, vanilla spice, very well balanced with fine soft tannins and a clean structure ending with a nice long chalky earthy character. Delicious! Still has room to age.
9.6
Jay Kline
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90 minutes. The 2012 pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Montmorency cherry, blackberry, dill, toasted coconut, olive, zatar, and a touch of vanilla. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This only got better with air and might be my favorite young Tondonia since I first drank the 2006 vintage. Really good stuff already! Drink now with some patience and through 2042.
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90 minutes. The 2012 pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Montmorency cherry, blackberry, dill, toasted coconut, olive, zatar, and a touch of vanilla. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This only got better with air and might be my favorite young Tondonia since I first drank the 2006 vintage. Really good stuff already! Drink now with some patience and through 2042.
9.3
Joel Lara
Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more.
Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more.
9.4
John Osgood
Nice elegance but too light in weight for the price
Nice elegance but too light in weight for the price
9.0
