WTN: Viña Austero

[David M. Bueker]

• 2005 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (6/5/2020)
  I don’t know this wine well enough. I don’t really understand it. Resolutely dry, it initially comes across as severely austere. Only about 90 minutes later does it start to flesh out, and emerge from its windowless cage. It’s still a monkish wine, contemplative, requiring a search for what it trying to say. There are elements that I perceive as nutty, or as melon with zero sweetness. There’s a breath of hay, and a hint of spice, but it’s all wound up in a tight ball, and not easy. Intellectually interesting, I don’t see this as pleasurable, but rather challenging.

It's a style that awards variation Especially Heredia.
I've had Crianzas of Gran Reserva quality and vice versa. Still, I do look forward to opening the bottles I have. Or used to have. They don't stay in the fridge very long.

[David M. Bueker]

I have been told elsewhere tha I opened this 15 years too soon. I can wait.

I just had my last bottle of the 2000 vintage, and it was drinking very well. But bottle variation is a given with this wine in particular. I'll put up my notes soon.

David I tend to agree with you about this wine. I have tasted it likely 20 times over the years and it is always interesting, but not always pleasurable. I will say that 1-2 of those times it seemed as though all the stars aligned and it was one of the greatest wines I've tasted, but often it is just complex without the pleasure...