Description
"I was very much looking forward to the 2004 Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva, the next vintage of this wine after the spectacular 2001. 2004 was a perfect climate year. This is a developed white that was matured in well-seasoned, neutral American oak barrels for 10 years in their old caves, where the wine gets pungent aromas of mushrooms, pollen, beeswax, white pepper, kerosene, cereals and something herbal (celery and even asparagus) that reminded me of the 1964. The palate is velvety and dry and super tasty, with a salty twist in the finish. It's still a baby even after years in bottle. This should age superbly in bottle. I think this is slightly better than the 2001, one of the freshest and most elegant vintages for this bottling. Bravo! 10,000 bottles were filled in November 2018. Before and after aging in barrel, the Gran Reserva wines also spend some time in oak vats. (LG)" 100 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Review Date: 02/2024
"Mercedes López de Heredia rates 2004 as one of the region's greatest vintages and it's hard to disagree when you have a glass of this world-class wine in your hand. Naturally fermented in very old foudres before ageing in venerable American oak barrels, it's a uniquely brilliant assemblage of Viura and 10% Malvasía, with incredible focus and dry extract, complex aromas of mint, beeswax and honey, a dusting of aromatic spices and effortless concentration. What a wine! 2024-45" 100 Points Tim Atkin, Review Date: 02/2024
"The 2004 Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia is a delicate, unique white wine crafted in the old-school Rioja style. It showcases the enduring legacy of the Tondonia Vineyard, situated along the meander of the Ebro River. Aged for a remarkable ten years in oak barrels before being bottled in 2014 and held in the catacomb-like cellar of López de Heredia, this amber-hued wine reveals a complex array of aromas. Notes of hops, honey and hazelnut intertwine with hints of resin, dried apricot and tangerine. On the palate, it offers a dry, silky texture with a chalky undertone, delivering a slightly concentrated character reminiscent of sherry. This wine is a delicious oddity, seamlessly blending the past and present of white winemaking in Rioja. (JH)" 96 Points John Hidalgo for Vinous, Review Date: 12/2023