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2005 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Vina Tondonia Reserva Blanco

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

March 3, 2024 - $140

Estimate

RATINGS

95The Wine Advocate

...fine and elegant wine...showed higher ripeness and a lot more developed aromas, nuttier with hints of hay and straw, honey and also chamomile and dried flowers.

93Vinous / IWC

Waxy, mineral-accented dried citrus and orchard fruit aromas show excellent clarity and a suave floral overtone. Chewy and sharply focused on the palate, offering concentrated Meyer lemon, pear skin, fennel and honey flavors underscored by a spicy ginger quality. Vanilla and pear nectar qualities build on a persistent finish sharpened by hints of bitter quinine and smoky minerals.

91Wine Spectator

...thick, firm texture carries baked apple, orange peel, tarragon and vanilla notes, with lively acidity keeping this focused.

REGION

Spain, Rioja

Rioja Demoninación de Origine Calificada is Spain’s most important wine region. Located in northern Spain, it comprises 135,000 vineyard acres and was the first official appellation in Spain, earning its official DO status in 1926. In 1991 it became Spain’s first DOCa, Spain’s most prestigious appellation category. The DOCa is divided into three subzones: La Rioja Alavesa in the northeast; La Rioja Alta in the southwest; and La Rioja Baja in the east. About 75 percent of Rioja wines are reds, with Tempranillo the predominant grape. Garnacha (Grenache), Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, a spicy, high-acidity red grape, are also allowed. White wines are made from Macabeo, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasia. Wines were made in this region well before the Romans arrived, though the Romans then the medieval monks refined vineyard management and wine production. In the 19th century French families migrated to Rioja after phylloxera wiped out their vineyards, and the French helped establish the tradition of wine blends, still part of Rioja winemaking. According to the rules for the appellation, a wine labelled a simple Rioja can spend less than a year in an oak aging barrel. A Criziana is aged for at least two years, one in oak. Rioja Reserva is aged at least three years, with at least one in oak. A Rioja Gran Reserva must be aged at least five years, with two years in oak.