Lopez de Heredia, Vina Tondonia and Bosconia
The wines were tasted about a month ago during a visit at the new tasting room at the Vina Tondonia in Haro, Rioja Alta. There were other wines tasted, but I was only able to take down notes for the following:
1999 Vina Tondonia Reserva (tinto) Light ruby red, oak nose, high acidity, somewhat thin fruit that tasted like sour cherries. Not my style. B-
2000 Vina Bosconia Reserva (tinto) Much darker core than the 99 Tondonia, prominent oak nose, layers of red fruit, fresh acidity, and good balance. B+
1989 Tondonia Reserva (blanco) Golden color, wood and some caramel in the nose, lush, some vanilla, hints of honey. I have not had much experience with aged white Rioja, but this is one well crafted wine. I love it. Euro15. A-
1987 Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva (tinto) Dark cherry, expressive nose of wood, forest floor, leather and mushroom. Layers of red fruit that seem to turn into black fruit with some time in the glass. Medium body and smooth. We drank a full bottle (purchased from the winery) that we BYOB'd in a local restaurant upon our return to NYC, and everybody that drank it were very happy with this wine. Euro35. A-
1987 Vina Bosconia Gran Reserva (tinto)
Ruby red with some orange tint. Wood, damp earth and, yes, some ripe banana on the nose. This is a big wine with many more good drinking years ahead of it as the soft tannin balances nicely with slight zestiness. The lean red and black fruit are nicely integrated. The wine has a long finish that was chewy with some tartness. Our host, Natalia, stressed that production of this wine was limited and that it is difficult to find outside of the winery. Euro35. B+/A-
Other TNs
The following wines were drunk at restaurants and/or bars that we visited. The restaurant prices for these wines, as I happily recall, were within 20% of the lowest pricing that I saw at Winesearcher.
1985 Cune Contino Rioja Reserva, Laguardia Alavesa (drank during lunch at Akelare Restaurant, San Sebastian)
Slight brick color at the rim, with dark cherry core.
Cigar, smoke and wood nose.
Red fruit, soft structure, nice balance showing maturity, some hard candy, and medium body. Medium length, drying finish. B+
1991 Vega Sicilia Unico,Ribera del Duero (drank during dinner at Mugaritz Restaurant, near San Sebastian)
Very dark cherry and fresh-looking wine.
Some lushness, fresh acidity, silky smooth, lean fruit with muscle. Waves of ripe red fruit in the middle, but nice balanced and compact; non-intrusive 14% abv; medium bodied.
2 hours into the dinner, earth and caramel emerges on the nose; finished with some nice hard candy; chewy and long. A-
2004 Dinastia Vivanco Crianza (lunch at Dinastia Vivanco Restaurant)
The bottle was included in one of the best QPR prix fix lunch menu in the Rioja region (Euro28 per person); very dark ruby red; oak and ripe black fruit on the nose; lush, sweet tannin, ripe fruit nicely balanced by good level of acidity, lots of blue and black fruit, white peppery finish. Weird bottle shape, like a cross between a Haut Brion and a Scotch whisky bottle. Very nice with food. Available at the winery store for Euro7. B+
2007 Elle de Landaluce - Vino con Barrica (tasted at a wine bar in Laguardia)
The wine came straight from the barrel a local town vintner (almost everybody in the town of Laguardia has an underground cave for keeping wines; most are non-Rioja DOC rated due to small production levels).
Black ink with dark violet at the rim; oak on the nose; tannin galore, dusty, tight. Medium chewy puckering finish. B+
2007 Pujanza – Vino con Barrica (tasted at a wine bar in Laguardia)
Another straight-from-the-barrel wine. Blacker and darker than the first one. Oak with some black fruit and mocha on the nose; tannin, medium body, less oak and more black fruit than the first wine; short finish. B
2001 Baron de Chirel Reserva, Marques de Riscal (drank during dinner at Castilla El Collado, Laguardia)
Black plum in color; black fruit, balsam, wet forest floor on the nose; plenty of ripe black fruit, sweet fine tannin, international in style. B
1995 La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva, Haro, Rioja Alta (dinner at Serrantes Marisqueria in Bilbao)
High tannin level, nice complementing acidity, red fruit, good balance, went nicely with the terrific fish dishes. A-
Ramon