Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva Rioja 2004 – 750ml Redneck Wine Company

94pts James Suckling

Very perfumed with dried flowers plus hints of leather and smoke. Lots of depth and elegance to this wine with polished velvety tannins and a long finish. Wonderful texture. 

94pts John Gilman

The 2004 Viña Tondonia Reserva is a beautiful bottle that is just starting to blossom, but is clearly built for the long haul and will be drinking far better a decade down the road. The bouquet is deep and nascently complex, wafting from the glass in a mix of cherries, red plums, toasted coconut, Rioja spice tones, a touch of mustard seed and a topnote of cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and tangy, with a lovely core, excellent soil inflection, fine-grained tannins and lovely length and grip on the nascently complex finish. This is very easy to drink already, but it has not yet developed the full panoply of Tondonia complexity yet and will be even better with another half dozen years of bottle age. A lovely bottle. 

94pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

The 2004 Viña Tondonia Reserva is a completely different story. It is a worthy follower of the 2001, the greatest of the Viña Tondonia Reservas of recent times. It has the usual blend and usual levels of alcohol and acidity, bottled after six years in oak barrels. The nose feels savory (if that’s possible–umami?) and developed, with tertiary aromas and good balance between spices, leathery notes, cherries and balsamic notes of cigar box and incense. The palate is both round and crisp, with refined tannins. It has very good balance with subtle acidity and very good persistence. 

93pts Vinous

Exotic, oak-spiced red berry liqueur, dried cherry and vanilla aromas are complemented by a smoky overtone. Sweet and pliant in the mouth, displaying a velvety texture to the plush black raspberry, cherry-vanilla and coconut flavors. Shows no rough edges and picks up a suave floral note with air, finishing with excellent clarity, a hint of allspice and round, harmonious tannins. 

91pts Wine & Spirits

A dark and smoky vintage of Tondonia, this combines dense fruit and beefy tannins with elegant, refreshing acidity. Its gentleness and grace bring food to mind, whether aged Manchego or something meaty and spicy, like braised duck. 

91pts Wine Enthusiast

Slightly damp, earthy and cool aromas introduce this traditional Rioja. In the mouth, pinchy tannins and tomatoey acidity pave the way for flavors of raisin, peppery spice and leafy herbs. A long steady finish is full of life. 

90pts Wine Spectator

Savory flavors of tea, mushroom and leather frame dried cherry and orange peel notes in this traditional-style red. Features a smooth, polished texture, with light tannins and bright acidity. Harmonious and graceful. 

Jancis Robinson

Beautifully complex aromas: leather and undergrowth and yet still there is red fruit. A miracle. Silky and refined. Leathery, dry but there’s no dryness on the finish. So complex. 18/20 points.

Winemaker Notes

Vibrant red leading slightly towards amber. Light fresh nose with notes of vanilla and dried berry aromas. Rich, very dry, smooth, developed. Firm tannins and good balance.

Blend: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 10% Graciano and Mazuelo