2013 Vina Tondonia Reserva Blanco

We talked a lot about the challenging 2013, but they defended the wines. "There was a big crop, and it was not easy, but it was possible to make great wines." The 2013 Viña Tondonia Blanco Reserva has nutty aromas, perhaps showing a little more development, but according to Mercedes López de Heredia, "[With] the old vines with the right rootstock, in the right soils, you can have more or less quality, but you're not going to have a disaster." It's a wine that has to have aging potential, and they need to start with good grapes, so they harvested earlier, as their grapes were riper because they had lowered their yields. They took risks, and I think they got it right. The palate has intense and pungent flavors, a velvety mouthfeel and a vibrant core of acidity, with a fine thread and a chalky finish. But it's a slightly weaker year. 14,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2022.

The 2013 Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia is a blend of 90% Viura and 10% Malvasía Riojana from the Tondonia vineyard, situated along the Ebro River. Aged for six years in oak barrels and an additional two years in the bottle, this wine defies expectations of youth with its bright amber hue. Subtle aromas of honey, dried apricot, tangerine peel and faint oak greet the senses. Initially rich and overwhelming, it evolves into a gently chalky flow with a refreshing touch on the palate. This complex white wine, with its long-lasting finish and final hint of hazelnut, stands for its aging potential like Rioja whites of old.