2013 R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja

Product DescriptionIt all started in the middle of the nineteenth century when French negociants visited the Rioja region to find alternative sources of quality grapes to transform into wine, since the phylloxera epidemic had decimated their vineyards. The founder, Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic student in the art of wine making, followed closely in their footsteps. Don Rafael fell in love with the region and especially the area around Haro, the mythical capital of the Rioja Alta region. He observed that there was a magical combination of soil and climate that would offer the perfect environment for producing wine that would eventually become world famous. Around 1877 he began the design and construction of the complex that is today known as the López de Heredia bodega (winery), the oldest in Haro and one of the first three bodegas in the Rioja region. From the famous vineyard of Viña Tondonia which was established over 100 years ago. “You can’t fully understand Rioja without tasting the wines of R. López de Heredia. For more than 60 years, the estate has produced wines in a remarkably consistent style, using distinctive methods of vineyard management and élevage. Only American oak is used—both in large and small formats—and the wines undergo long, oxidative aging to achieve a gently balanced profile. This oxidative approach slows their evolution significantly.” Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous, May 2025