López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Blanco 'Viña Tondonia' 2001

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.

In recent years, consumers have woken up to the outstanding quality-to-price ratio of López de Heredia’s entire range (especially as they are released with significant bottle age), but its the white and rosado wines that increasingly stand out.

The 2001 Gran Reserva Blanco – from an exceptional Rioja vintage – combines both fresh and dried yellow fruit with nutty caramel and a complex oxidative character. Fleshy and honeyed on the long finish. Drinking now and for many decades ahead. 99 points, Wine Advocate