I was lucky to get an invitation to a Lopez de Heredia dinner last week, where we shared some older Gran Reserva bottles over an assortment of tapas. Tasting notes below:
2010 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: Strawberries on the nose, with bright red fruit hovering over the palate. Supremely elegant and crisp. A little tight, tannic, and drying on opening, but improves with time in the glass.
2018 Bodegas Lanzaga (Telmo Rodriguez) Rioja Las Beatas: Darker fruited than the Lopez de Heredia, with darker red fruit, a dried herbal note, earthiness, and this chalky, almost ashy texture on the finish. A little closed right now, but very elegant and intriguing. A very nice wine that I think will improve, but overshadowed by the Gran Reservas.
1947 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: On my first pour, I was hit with this lively, sparkling acidity. It was extremely fresh, elegant, and nimble with perfectly resolved tannins. An absolute wow wine for the first half-hour or so. But then, later in the evening, this absolutely nose-dived into a sour, screechy mess. Someone at the table said he had a ‘47 a couple of years ago that was ungiving on opening, but improved immensely with air. As they say, there’s no good old wine, just good old bottles.
1964 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: The acidity here is not as tangy and lively as the 1947. It feels more resolved and tertiary than the ‘47 (which felt unbelievably youthful until it fell apart), however, it still feels like the ‘64 is just beginning to really hit its stride into full maturity. Bright, beautiful, crazy floral nose. Super complex on the palate that just keeps improving in the glass. My wine of the night and one of my wines of the year.
1973 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: This is the least lively of the older Todonias; apparently the cork had shrunk a little and was a little dicey and crumbly when it was pulled. It still showed well, but just didn’t have the zest and complexity of the older wines (though it didn’t really decline during the evening either). A nice bottle of “old red wine” that would have been fine to have on its own, but overshadowed by its older brethren this evening.
1995 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: There’s a hint of green dill on the palate (I’m guessing from the oak) with unresolved, very drying tannins. Awkward and ponderous early in the evening, this is clearly not 100% ready yet. However, it does steadily integrate and improve over the course of the evening, with the green note receding and the complexity on the palate becoming more prominent. I’m guessing this will be very lovely in 10 years.
1995 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Bosconia: More approachable and giving than the ‘95 Tondonia, but this still could use more time as well. Has a certain delicacy that I could also sense in the ‘81.
1981 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Bosconia: As expected, this is the most “Burgundian” of the wines, with pretty red fruit and a delicate palate presence in the mouth. Fascinating to drink this next to the ‘95 and sense that ethereal terroir signature in both of them.
2001 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: A weird bottle that was possibly flawed. Very funky on the nose and no fun in the mouth. A lot of people thought this was corked, though there were some naysayers.
1994 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: Round and silky texturally, peachy on the nose, with a complex and powerful presence on the palate. This clearly has more stuffing than the ‘81, but I sensed a little oaky vanilla on the palate with time in the glass. Impressive wine, but I think it could use more time to integrate the oak.
1981 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: Sharper and tangier than the ‘94 with terrific, mouth-watering acidity. The palate is subtler, less fruity, and more mineral-forward than the ‘94 with the oak, in my opinion, purely a textural presence and otherwise integrated. This was absolutely terrific and a treat to drink.
2010 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: Strawberries on the nose, with bright red fruit hovering over the palate. Supremely elegant and crisp. A little tight, tannic, and drying on opening, but improves with time in the glass.
2018 Bodegas Lanzaga (Telmo Rodriguez) Rioja Las Beatas: Darker fruited than the Lopez de Heredia, with darker red fruit, a dried herbal note, earthiness, and this chalky, almost ashy texture on the finish. A little closed right now, but very elegant and intriguing. A very nice wine that I think will improve, but overshadowed by the Gran Reservas.
1947 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: On my first pour, I was hit with this lively, sparkling acidity. It was extremely fresh, elegant, and nimble with perfectly resolved tannins. An absolute wow wine for the first half-hour or so. But then, later in the evening, this absolutely nose-dived into a sour, screechy mess. Someone at the table said he had a ‘47 a couple of years ago that was ungiving on opening, but improved immensely with air. As they say, there’s no good old wine, just good old bottles.
1964 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: The acidity here is not as tangy and lively as the 1947. It feels more resolved and tertiary than the ‘47 (which felt unbelievably youthful until it fell apart), however, it still feels like the ‘64 is just beginning to really hit its stride into full maturity. Bright, beautiful, crazy floral nose. Super complex on the palate that just keeps improving in the glass. My wine of the night and one of my wines of the year.
1973 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: This is the least lively of the older Todonias; apparently the cork had shrunk a little and was a little dicey and crumbly when it was pulled. It still showed well, but just didn’t have the zest and complexity of the older wines (though it didn’t really decline during the evening either). A nice bottle of “old red wine” that would have been fine to have on its own, but overshadowed by its older brethren this evening.
1995 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: There’s a hint of green dill on the palate (I’m guessing from the oak) with unresolved, very drying tannins. Awkward and ponderous early in the evening, this is clearly not 100% ready yet. However, it does steadily integrate and improve over the course of the evening, with the green note receding and the complexity on the palate becoming more prominent. I’m guessing this will be very lovely in 10 years.
1995 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Bosconia: More approachable and giving than the ‘95 Tondonia, but this still could use more time as well. Has a certain delicacy that I could also sense in the ‘81.
1981 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Bosconia: As expected, this is the most “Burgundian” of the wines, with pretty red fruit and a delicate palate presence in the mouth. Fascinating to drink this next to the ‘95 and sense that ethereal terroir signature in both of them.
2001 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: A weird bottle that was possibly flawed. Very funky on the nose and no fun in the mouth. A lot of people thought this was corked, though there were some naysayers.
1994 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: Round and silky texturally, peachy on the nose, with a complex and powerful presence on the palate. This clearly has more stuffing than the ‘81, but I sensed a little oaky vanilla on the palate with time in the glass. Impressive wine, but I think it could use more time to integrate the oak.
1981 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia: Sharper and tangier than the ‘94 with terrific, mouth-watering acidity. The palate is subtler, less fruity, and more mineral-forward than the ‘94 with the oak, in my opinion, purely a textural presence and otherwise integrated. This was absolutely terrific and a treat to drink.