TN: 2006 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia

This wine surprised me by how much I like it. In theory, I should be a big fan of old world Rioja. The problem, however, is that I am not a fan, generally speaking, of American oak. And lots of Riojas showcase that American oak range of notes that I just do not like. On this wine, it works, but granted, the oak presence is really rather subdued. I know Tondonia has a larger amount of used oak, but I do not know the breakdown for this vintage.

At $35 or so, this is a silly value.

A really pretty nose of dried red fruits, tobacco, dried herbs and a hint of citrus. The citrusy notes become more pronounced on the palate, giving this wine a zesty feel to it. Fresh, medium in body, but more so because of the depth and texture to the materials rather than the actual weight. Dusty earthy, cocoa powder, herbs. Sweet, tangy finish with just a touch of chewiness. I have limited experience with this winery, but I think this wine will hit a sweet-spot in 2-3 years and really shine for quite some time.

A lovely, elegant wine. If you enjoy old world claret, try this wine.

(92 pts.)

Both this and the 2005 are silly good wines.

The American Oak never quite fades. Did a tasting of 1964-1980 Imperial vs Viña Real and it sticks out like a sore thumb even in the 64 and 66. Monte Bello is the same way. St least I like it as it mellows.

Robert,

Welcome to the dark side…

Come up to the PacNW for a tri. We’ll pop a few of their Gran Reservas. You’ll forget all about that Bordeaux stuff. :sunglasses:

The 2006 is just a baby at this point.

I’m not surprised. You like Ridge as well, and they use Am-oak as well. Like they say, it’s not the size of the barrel that matters, it’s how you use it. [cheers.gif]

Ridge is an interesting discussion. If you’ve seen some of my posts, I’m both positive about, and critical of, Ridge. I wish they’d tune down the use of new American oak, and would love to see them use French oak for the Cabs.

The thing about that oak on the LdH is that if you taste those wines young, you wouldn’t like them. The 2006 wasn’t a very good vintage but you’re still drinking it at 12 years in or more and that oak, while it never fades entirely, is subdued.

I don’t like American oak.

There I said it.

#MAFA

Make America French Again!

If it weren’t for the French, we’d be calling it British Colonial Oak instead of American Oak. [cheers.gif]

This.

Timely note, as the Costco here in London has these for GBP 23 each. I’d been wanting a reason to pull the trigger and here it is.

To my understanding, RLdH never exceeds 10% in renewing their barrels and all their wines see 5-10% new oak. There’s some variation between the vintages, but IIRC the differences are very minuscule.

The only problem I have with some RLdH reds is the subtly metallic brett character their wines have. Most of the time it’s well hidden, but at times it can peek through, lending a slightly off note to an otherwise beautiful wine. The biggest problem is that it tends to act rather erratically - some wines might exhibit it upon opening a bottle and then having it disappear as the wine breathes and opens, while other might be clean from the get-go and develop that metallic tone after a little while. However, a great majority of the Heredia wines never show that metallic note at all, which is great.

Oh and I had that 2006 Tondonia Reserva a few weeks ago and while it did show that subtly metallic tone, it was nevertheless a beautiful Rioja. Not the best vintage of Tondonia Reserva, but a lovely effort all the same.

FWIW, I ordered some more.

Thanks for the information, Otto. It’s what I suspected on the new oak but did not know the numbers.

Had the 1994 GR recently (again). It really shines in all its modesty. Brilliant wine
Also a few months ago the 2001 Reserva from magnum. It is slowly starting to climb the plateau. Also my non-geek friends liked it a lot

I toured LdH recently (quite trippy and highly recommended) and was informed that all newly coopered barrels are “seasoned” by aging press wine for a couple years that is later sold off on the bulk market. So technically all the LdH wines are 0% new oak.

There is no new oak in Tondonia Reserva. (I was there on Monday.) Primary fermentation is in massive wood tanks over 100 years old.

All barrels for aging after tank are thoroughly conditioned before use typically using the tank remains after the transfer process and if I am remembering correctly, I believe they also use must, whatever wine/sediment remains in the barrels after racking, and wine that is never bottled to condition the barrels. At least a year for each barrel. There is also no toasting of new barrels. The aim is a neutral American oak vessel that can breathe.

Some pics here:

I had the ‘06 (still the current release) Monday evening at dinner. It’s very nice but not quite at the level of ‘04 and ‘05 in my view, which should still be around at retail.

I posted before I saw your comments. Right. Consistent with what I heard. Amazing cellars!

Had the 1994 once—it was absolutely superb.

Not had the 06, but it points to the consistently high quality of the wine that it showed so well for you Bob. My notes on the 2005 from a couple months ago:

2005 Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva

Should come as no surprise that I elected to give this the same amount of decanting as the Brunello Riserva (sic–full 8 hours). This has plenty of promise, with some cedary and light anise aromatics and tastes around dark, dark cherry and blackberry. It was just starting to unfurl at dinner about 9 hours later. I knew I’d opened this too soon (it was as much to make room in my “mini-cellar” which Berto has been generous enough to provide me), and at least 6 years would be all to the good here. BUT—I think it may rival or even surpass the 04 in that time.

Brig—there’s the brave lad. Now, don’t you feel like a weight has been lifted? [grin.gif]

I agree that while some oak character (vanillin, coconut, richness, texture, etc.) might diminish, the “dill pickle” aspect never fades. In fact, as the wine itself begins to soften/fade, the “dill pickle” characteristic of American oak seems to only become more prominent relative to the fruit, tannin, etc.

Ultimately, this is something that makes Rioja unique (and is in fact a traditional/historical characteristic of Rioja, not something related to modernist techniques, over-oaking, etc.). Maybe it’s pure rationalization, but I try to keep that in mind when I’m trying to get past my initial reaction to many of these wines (young and old), and most often, after the distraction of the first half-glass or so, I am able to get over the distraction of the oak and ultimately enjoy these wines thoroughly. Can’t quite decide whether I’m ultimately enjoying the wine with the oak, or enjoying the wine despite the oak, but I feel like it’s the former…