López de Heredia - Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva 1995 (750ml)
Price: $315.00
| Producer | López de Heredia |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Rioja |
| Varietal | Red Blend |
| Vintage | 1995 |
| Sku | 1528 |
| Size | 750ml |
Decanter: 97 Points
The archetype of a great wine having gone through a soft long ageing: spicy complexity undergrowth tones a caramel touch. Suave light but stylish velvety smoky subtle finish. A great experience with a long life ahead.
Wine Advocate: 97 Points
The only current red Gran Reserva is the 1995 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva the one that is produced exactly the same as before including fining with egg whites and sealing with red wax. 1995 was an excellent and early harvest the grapes achieved full ripeness and were harvested under the sun during two weeks starting October 9. The wine which exceptionally achieved 13% alcohol is the usual blend 70% Tempranillo 20% Garnacho 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo (Cariñena). Like all their wines it fermented with indigenous yeasts in old oak vats and as a Gran Reserva it matured in old American oak barrels for ten years! Yes it was bottled in November 2006 and launched in 2015 a full 20 years after the harvest. This light-colored ethereal 1995 is the essence of Viña Tondonia. It has developed aromas and complexity gained with the time in bottle of incense leather cured meat cherries in liqueur cold bonfire and spices. The palate is super-tasty with fully-resolved tannins and very good acidity. The texture is super-fine sophisticated and ethereal with gob-smacking balance. Intense powerful and elegant too. Hard to believe but this red feels too young and while approachable I'd wait a couple of years or more because it will be much better. The profile follows the style of the great classics of the 1950s and 60s. Bottles like this are the ones that created the López de Heredia myth. This could be lighter than the 1994 but in the long run I believe the 1995 will be the better bottle. 24687 bottles produced.
James Suckling: 96 Points
Sweet tobacco orange zest and hints of balsamic with dried fruits on the nose. Full body soft and silky with a tangy and fruity combination that gives such pleasure. Very balanced and refined. Aged ten years in cask. Drink now.
