R. Lopez de Heredia, Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva, Rioja

Golden Oldies (Myhan) : What a special wine - orange, nuts, a hint of papaya, vanilla. Fresh with great tension, just a bit of grip. So young and vibrant full stop, let alone for a wine pushing 40.

1987 vintage

Magnificent gold, nutty, fresh brioche, honey and jasmine. Perfect balance of rich agave syrup and searing acidity. Super subtle oxidation. Sublime complex, involute, almost Baroque. A little bit short, and might have grown more with an hour's decanting. It's a tad below the legendary '94, but undoubtedly one of the world's greatest whites in any category. What a treat!

1987 vintage

Ian A's 2026 Golden Oldies (Myhan, Highbury, London) : Golden colour, rich and oxidative. Brown bread and spun sugar. Touch of spearmint too. Palate very dry and the acids keep this fresh. Lemon oil, Grape Nut cereal bass notes and a touch of apricot kernel bitterness. Whilst I love this style, and hard to compute vintage vs age vs storage vs bottle variation but think I prefer them at c. 25 year rather than nearly 40

1987 vintage

This was a reminder of how remarkable these wines are, how young, fresh and vibrant this wine is approaching its 40th year, and how complex and nuanced it is, and how skillfully – and intentionally - oxidative. This has decades ahead of it and its best years are still to come

1987 vintage

Absolutely terrific on any scale. Some Petrol. Super complex. now thru 2030+

2004 vintage

Dark yellow. Amazing nose. American oak is quite present (of course) but is well mastered here. Very slightly oxidative but that is well balanced on the palate with some well maintained acidity. This is a very nice wine.

2004 vintage

Killed another baby. Only somewhat learned from my mistake earlier this year on the 2001. This is clearly a great wine in the making. Slow ox'd for 5 hours and decanted for another 3 after that before dinner. Complex, ripe fruit and spices. Not very oxidative at the moment. Shows that it should age very well. The 1991 two days later was in a near perfect spot. 97+ potential down the road.

2004 vintage

SF Wine Meet-Up: "20 for 20" (San Francisco) : Part of our "20 for 20" Reddit SF Wine Meet-Up. This was a lovely bonus wine and a rare one at that. This needed time to open up, but displayed some lemon, stone fruit, and raw almond notes. A little oaky still, but I have a feeling that will mellow with age. I'm not a big white wine drinker, but I really enjoyed this! 90 points.

2004 vintage

Very deep and complex on the nose with notes of almonds, citrus, minerals, hay, a hint of stone fruit, and flowers. Great acidity with excellent balance and texture on the palate with flavors of lemon, grapefruit, minerals, salinity, apples, and nuts. Very long finish. This is simply outstanding! Still feels quite young and you can taste the oak a little, but this should be spectacular in a decade or so. 97++

2004 vintage

Blow out Blind night (Corkbuzz, Union Square) : As confident as I was in my white rioja call, I was equally confident that it was not LdH as there was no nuttiness/oxidative splendor, rather more wood power, but I guess the Gran Reserva just shows different. This was closed in the beginning, but by end of night had mellowed into something special. I usually open its less pedigreed sibling 4 days in advance (and this from someone who rarely likes …

2004 vintage

What a wine. Out of the blocks it hits with great intensity on the palate. Nose isn’t quite subtle and fresh for the style of wine Finish has some dry extract / wood wrapping up but it’s the energy in the middle the huge density and a long spicy finish that mark this. I think the 01 I may just prefer but would like to try side by side Not my normal style to drink regularly but very good

2004 vintage

Musang Seattle with Steve, Candace, Adam and Ammi (Georgetown, Seattle, WA) : Holy wow, deep color, a bit oxidative at first. But explosive, deep, incredible acidity, concentration that is off the charts, unbelievably marine, salty and savory. Pretty mindblowing.

2004 vintage

PnP. Well made. Young, a bit restrained but you can tell it has the stuffing to go for ages. Rating based on today's experience. Can imagine adding a point after about 10-20 years (!). Like it, don't love it. Has a waxy bitter orange tang. Peach aroma. Bit of marzipan. Perhaps entering an infanticide drinking window. No regrets opening but feel it needs a long decant or a dozen more years. But still interesting to try today. Drank a glass, …

2004 vintage

Opened on 02/22 for open that bottle night. I’ve really wanted to try one of these special bottles and figured I should give it a go. I was not disappointed! Nose: Lemon, Pineapple, citrus, nutty, oily, waxy, butterscotch. A lot going on here but this definitely fits the bill of a LdH Blanco Palate: All of the above comes through on the palate, but I’m blown away by the way this walks the line between richness while still staying lively. …

2004 vintage

Classic petrol, wax and nut skin flavors of old white Rioja combines with astonishing freshness. This is a wine that will go for another 30 years. I had this at a luncheon with friends and everyone was amazed.

1987 vintage

Not rating this as I had a tasting sip which was too warm. It is clear this is too young. It has everythig you would want (nuts, oak, lemony fruit, toast, etc.), but feels very restrained. Would let this rest for a bit longer!

2004 vintage

Utregs Wijnhuis pop-up at Terroir (Utrecht, NL) : A small tasting glass was generously shared by the Bouzy group. Despite its youth you can taste the class and the potential; medium+ intensity on the nose with white chocolate, lemon, herbs, cocos. High acidity, very long finish. 95++ At the moment not yet harmonious, but the potential is amazing

2004 vintage

CRiBBS @ La T (La Trompette, London) : A step up from previous bottle in 2017. Mid gold. Nicely rich nose, lanolin and beeswax. Rich, bone dry attack. Good weight. Round and rich whilst retain8 g line. A just lovely. Absolutely lovely. ***** Note that after a couple of hours this starts to freak a little, so don’t give it too much air.

1987 vintage

The 50 Big Bash (Harry's NYC) : In truly great shape. This was much more fresh than I would have expected. Still the oxidized style of wine making which makes it a bit intriguing. Drinking very well.

1973 vintage

A Good Tuesday, Vol VIII: Lopez de Heredia and Friends : Sadly corked. Horribly. Like, look up corked wine in the dictionary and this should be pictured.

1987 vintage

Kleur: Vol goudgeel. Aroma / bouquet: Ingehouden neus, serieus maar aangenaam oxidatief, honing. Smaak / Afdronk: Geprononceerde zuurgraad, dik-sappig en mondvullend, heel tertiair maar aangenaam. Serieus lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: In eerste instantie versleet ik deze wijn voor een uiterst belegen Ermitage Blanc. Indrukwekkende, belegen Rioja die nog lang drinkbaar zal blijven. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 91/100 Colour: Full golden yellow. Aroma / …

1973 vintage

This was the best of the Tondonia and I liked it a lot. Red berries, redcurrant jelly, delicate and long.

1970 vintage

A perfect bottle, walking on the tightrope between apple-like oxidation and aged salty white wine with intricate aromas of peach, brown dust, old cupboards, varnish, caramel, bergamot, and consommé. Perfectly coherent with good if not very long aftertaste, good acidity.

1987 vintage

Medium gold color. Surprisingly light bodied for a 33 year old wine. Lightly oxidative, but only slightly. Mild waxiness, lanolin and almond but also rather light on all these flavors. Not as much depth as expected. Very fresh. We drank this with a browned garlic Basque style monkfish and the medium body and style went well with this wine.

1987 vintage

Still great with the end nowhere in sight.

1990 vintage

ignore this

1970 vintage

Almond, apricot, citrus. Went well with chicken marsala

1987 vintage

Mostly Older Rioja Dinner (San Francisco) : Tulip color, pretty amazing for a 48 year old white wine. Hard to describe the aromas on this-some ripe, almost tropical notes, but at the same time, rather mysterious and earthy. Again, in the mouth, an interesting combination of delicacy yet a thread of glycerine that reminds you of Chenin Blanc. Subdued fruit, complex savory flavors, nutty but not too oxidative. Very enjoyable, but I had as difficult a time pinning this down …

1970 vintage

Tampa Spring Break (the third); 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Various Tampa locations (Seasons 52, Capital Grille, Berns etc.)) : Best word I can think of for this wine is just classy. It's a touch oxidized and you get the sherry notes and all of that. Well put together. It was a nice start to the meal.

1987 vintage

Tampa Spring Break III; 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Tampa FL) : From the wine list at Bern's. Straw color. Oxidative nose. On the palate this is very complex, with an oxidative sherried palate - brining to mind crushed toasted walnuts, caramelized honey, with a waxy mouthfeel and a super long finish. Just really interesting and contemplative and delicious - lovely way to open our meal at Bern's.

1987 vintage

Fantastic acid still. Could've gone another 10 years

1987 vintage

Rich dry honey, marigold, and white apricot notes. Beeswax and distinct saline notes on the nose. Remaining acidity leaves a balanced impression on the finish. Great wines with enough age. 93-94

1973 vintage

J&VB with RIBBS (Brunswick House) : Served blind this is obviously mature Rioja, and feels like Tondo. Mid 70s maybe. Some waxy lanolin but also a lightness and a freshness. pristine. Persistent and nuanced. Maybe just a fraction light on the finish, but that's super picky. Really lovely wine. ****

1973 vintage

David Pope's 60th (Medlar, London) : Proper old Tondo furniture polish nose. Rich, typically oxidative. Good depth and nicely waxy. Body and oomph here too. This has evolved and improved since tasting at the bodega in 2010. ****

1987 vintage

White Rioja : Wow. Intense, smoky nose of dried meat, sausage, lots of pickle, wax and sweet waffles. Very round and complex. Opening up well with air, very, very good.

1987 vintage

A bit darker in colour than the 1996 Reserva. Super nose - mineral, oily, lime curd, honey, nuts, oxidative notes. Unfortunately a little flat on the palate, nuts, ripe fruit, fresh, almost a bit bitter, good length. Based on this bottle I would drink up. 91-93

1987 vintage

Oxidized aromas with aged apple, toffee and mineral. Round on the palate with a funky and earthy note. Very unique but this I'm not a fan (or sure what to make) of this style.

1987 vintage

I was the outlier on this one, but to me, the nose smelled like one of those Swiss herb-infused alcohols: mountain herbs and grass, crisp, clean ... then some tropical fruits and marzipan? Very elegant on the palate, but the finish was a little odd. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15/20.

1970 vintage

2014 Acker BYO at TriBeCa Grill (TriBeCa Grill, NYC) : Straw; impossibly young-looking. Not a big wine, but superbly precise; banana, ginger, and a pervasive, powerful steely substratum of beeswax infused with spring flowers. Subtle and beautiful. The palate bursts with flavor: white chocolate, lemon confit, French toast (custard), and caramelized gingerbread. Incredibly long. A spectacular wine, tremendous. Ageless -- I'm sure this will be as good or better in 25 years. (One of three WOTN, for me).

1970 vintage

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/06/vina-tondonia-1987-blanco-gran-reserva.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - …

1987 vintage

not bad at all, complex and changing, easy to drink but challenging at the same time

1987 vintage

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/05/vina-tondonia-1981-blanco-gran-reserva.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - …

1973 vintage

Honey comb, green olive, white mushroom, golden apple, great acidity. Went well with olives and marinated bell pepper. Would be good with green olives and almonds

1987 vintage

Bodegas Lopez de Heredia, Hosted by Maria-Jose Lopez de Heredia (Berry Bros & Rudd, London) : Sourced from the Bodega Lopez de Heredia for this tasting. The colour of this just tells a story of its own, amber, glossy dark hue. The nose is just a complex mix of a nutty edge, waxy, ripe lemon. Just a beautiful nose. The palate continues on a similar tune but there is just something missing everything is there but in a way are …

1973 vintage

This is just brilliant if you're into oxidative whites. Right in the sweet spot.

1987 vintage

The nose is huge; powerful and really singing with a lovely combination of honeyed popcorn and the classic oxidative character of a Tondonia Blanco. Dense and powerful with a great tension between the creamy, nutty fruit and a black tea, saline character. The fruit becomes more crystalline in the finish with a long, long flavour of baked lemons and nutty caramel. Superb.

1987 vintage

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/08/vina-tondonia-1987-blanco-reserva.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - …

1987 vintage

Exciting, fresh and youthful. It has a salty flor tang and is underpinned by wonderful clean fruit. Delicious. Very well developed, cheesy almost, but with a lovely ripeness and delicacy to the fruit and a searing acidity that keeps everything nicely balanced and makes it feel young (courtesy Ruth Ford).

1987 vintage

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/05/vina-tondonia-1970-blanco-gran-reserva.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - …

1970 vintage

yellow gold, oxidative and more of a light to medium expression of similar notes to the 91`; 85% Viura, 15% Malavasia.

1987 vintage

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R. Lopez de Heredia, Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva, Rioja

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