López de Heredia Rioja Reserva 'Viña Tondonia' 2012

López de Heredia is nothing if not a family business. Having been handed down through four generations to its present custodians María José, her sister Mercedes, and brother Julio, its old-school philosophy and elegant, long-lived Riojas have remained steadfast through war, fashion, and new technologies.

Set up during a boom for supplying a French market whose own vineyards had been ravaged by phylloxera, María José’s great-grandfather, Rafael, took inspiration from influential Bordeaux châteaux and purchased sites around Haro based on their suitability to emulate the regions that his new Gallic clientele base admired most. Today, Tondonia remains arguably Rioja’s greatest estate.

Made from a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazeulo and Graciano, the estate’s flagship red is Viña Tondonia. Produced in a soft, elegant Médoc style, this is one of our favourite Riojas bar none. The 2012 is a dry vintage that resulted in lower yields of very healthy grapes that has delivered beautifully balanced wines for long ageing. Combines spicy and tertiary (brick dust, forest floor, and iodine) and polished tannins. A textbook Tondonia. 95 points, Wine Advocate