Monday, January 02, 2006

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonnia 1993 Rioja Reserva wine review by (PB)

We were invited for New Years dinner with some friends as they wanted to share this wine they received as a gift. I looked it up prior to tasting it but unwittingly looked up the wrong wine. The wine I found received a dismal "72" rating from the Wine Spectator.

This wine, on the pour, looked dubious at best. It was a light brown in hue with clear aging that lead me to believe this wine was going to be a mouthful of vinegar. The bouquet was very light and although subtle, it was actually pleasant; a promising portent of what was to come.

There was nothing remarkable in the bouquet and the nose had that “daffodil” aroma which I don’t really care for but was welcome in this case as it meant the wine still had some life to it.

In the mouth, this wine was just subtle in every way. My first impression was, “this is NOT a 72 point wine!” Anything and everything was nuanced. There were light cherries with a balance of flavor and all that makes a wine palatable. It is the most mature wine I have had. Bacon seemed to rise out of nowhere and a hint of rose petals and green peppers also emerged.

Although very understated, this is a wine of sheer elegance. It is at its utmost peak and even a little beyond yet a great way to celebrate a new year; this was a special wine; one which I was glad to have been able to be a part of! Thanks M & J! Raise a glass to 2006!

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