R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva 2004

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva 2004

Lopez de Heredia
$170.00

Grape: Viura
Vintage: 2004
Type: White

This rare white Rioja represents an artisanal Gran Reserva bottling crafted from ninety percent Viura and ten percent Malvasía. Sourced from the historic walled Vina Tondonia vineyard, the fruit grows on deep alluvial and limestone terraces along the Ebro River. Spontaneous fermentation relies entirely on native wild yeasts inside large, ancient oak vats without temperature control. True to the estate's patient methodology, the wine ages for ten full years in neutral American oak casks before release.

It pours a deep golden color with amber reflections, releasing a complex nose of preserved lemon, beeswax, chamomile, and dried almonds. On the palate, the full-bodied, structured frame balances a broad, waxy texture with a sharp beam of limestone acidity. Savory layers of walnut shell, dried petrol, and a subtle oxidative character fold into a dense mouthfeel. A strong vein of salinity runs through the center. It concludes with an impressively long, bone-dry finish.

This family-owned winery makes highly individual wines in a style essentially unchanged since its inception in 1877. They grow all their grapes using organic methods, ferment using only natural yeasts and do not filter their wines.

López de Heredia reputation as the ultimate Rioja traditionalist is undisputable: craft, farming, winemaking are all here and have been for a long, long time. Another remarkable feat is they also pioneered the single vineyard model in Rioja. Gravonia, Tondonia, Bosconia and Cubillo are all individual vineyards which have been in the family for generations.

Patience is a family watchword, as this bodega thinks nothing of waiting twenty years before releasing a wine. Their “Crianzas” are aged like others’ “Reservas” and “Gran Reservas”; the “Reservas” as long as others’ top “Gran Reservas”. And the ultimate accolade of “Gran Reserva” is accorded to only the very greatest vintages. Rarely are there more than three of these in a decade. These are uniquely traditional Riojas of massive, boundary-crossing repute. Both red and white are capable of staggering longevity.

Tondonia is the estate's top vineyard. Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta planted Viña Tondonia in 1913. The gorgeous 170 hectare Tondonia vineyard is situated in on the right bank of the Ebro river, which flows through the Rioja region.