Vina Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva Tinto Lopez de Heredia 2001

López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva Tinto 2001 is a medium-bodied blended red wine from the Rioja region of France. Lopez de Heredia is one of the most celebrated names in Rioja winemaking, producing steadfastly traditional Rioja wines from its iconic bodega in Haro since the late 19th century. American oak is preferred to French, while the estate`s wines undergo extended maturation in barrel – from six years up to 10 years for the Gran Reservas – before release. "This is 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in their 153-year-old oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in used barrels for 10 years. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.4 and 6.4 grams of acidity (tartaric). The nose shows young (tasting it blind, you`d guess a 10-year old wine, not a 20-year-old wine!). It has a nose of sweet spices, underbrush and cigar ash, somewhat balsamic, bramble fruit with perfect ripeness, integrated and young but starting to show some tertiary complexity. The palate is velvety and medium-bodied, with fine-grained, chalky tannins denoting a limestone soil that brings finesse and texture and a sapid, tasty, almost salty finish. This is going to make a beautiful bottle of old Rioja in 30 years` time!" Wine Advocate, 2020