Wine Advisor
R. Lopez de Heredia, Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco 2004
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Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
I was very much looking forward to the 2004 Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva, the next vintage of this wine after the spectacular 2001. 2004 was a perfect climate year. This is a developed white that was matured in well-seasoned, neutral American oak barrels for 10 years in their old caves, where the wine gets pungent aromas of mushrooms, pollen, beeswax, white pepper, kerosene, cereals and something herbal (celery and even asparagus) that reminded me of the 1964. The palate is velvety and dry and super tasty, with a salty twist in the finish. It's still a baby even after years in bottle. This should age superbly in bottle. I think this is slightly better than the 2001, one of the freshest and most elegant vintages for this bottling. Bravo! 10,000 bottles were filled in November 2018. Before and after aging in barrel, the Gran Reserva wines also spend some time in oak vats.
About the Producer
The vineyards of the Lopez Redia winery are the basis for the development of the winery. Consistently producing high-quality wines requires having your own vineyard, which overcomes the reliance on sourcing grapes from small vineyards and avoids erratic quality. The Vina Tondonia vineyard is one of the most spectacular in the Hari region. It is located in a sunken basin, surrounded by the Ebro River as a peninsula, and the soil is composed of siltstone, limestone. The area of the vineyard is 100 hectares. The Vina Bosconia vineyard is located next to the Ebro River at an altitude of 465 meters, one kilometer from the winery. The vines are planted on the south-facing slopes of the mountains, where ample sunshine provides them with perfect ripening conditions. The Vina Cubillas vineyard is 465 meters above sea level, and the average age of the vines in the garden is 40 years. The soil structure here is a mixture of clay and limestone. The vineyard is planted with 24 hectares of Tempranillo, Grenache, Mazuelo and Graciano grape varieties. The Vina Gravonia vineyard is located 200 meters from the winery and was purchased by the founder of the winery. It is 340 meters above sea level and the average age of the vines in the park is 45 years. The poor and rocky slope soil allows the roots of the vines to be more easily planted deep in the soil, giving the 24 hectares of grapes a more balanced biological organization and a more mature aroma. The winery picks the grapes every October. Since its establishment, Lopez Redia Winery has been committed to producing high-quality wines that can fully demonstrate the characteristics of the terroir and grape varieties of the producing area. The winery has released wines such as Vina Tondonia Reserva Red, Vina Cubillo Crianza, Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva and Vina Gravonia Crianza Blanco are popular among consumers.
