2010 R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva 750 ml

At age 145, nothing still quickens the pulse of a true Rioja lover quite like the legendary house of Lopez de Heredia.

It is THE bastion of tradition and patience in Rioja. It is to Rioja what Vega Sicilia is to Ribera del Duero. All wines are estate-grown and bottled, and reservas are aged like Gran Reservas. The wines—both whites and reds—can cellar for decades, thanks to exacting craftsmanship.

The 2010 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva represents our first allocation from this icon—and we get to start with a 97-point, single-vineyard reserva from a vintage that Wine Advocate rated 95, the single highest score on their Rioja chart. What’s more, James Suckling ranked this wine at #8 in his Top 100 Spanish Wines of 2022!

In the late 19th century, Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, the founder of the company, sought to craft something he called "Supreme Rioja.” He established Viña Tondonia in 1913, and today it comprises a group of vineyards made up of around 170 hectares on the right bank of the Ebro River. The vines average about 45 years of age, which helps give superb concentration to the grapes. Compared to the other bottlings in the lineup, Tondonia is revered for its grace and finesse rather than its power—it’s more Lafite than Mouton. The wine is typically about 75% Tempranillo, with the rest Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo.

Every wine lover should experience the apogee of traditional, old-school Rioja, and since Lopez de Heredia is a primary reference point, there really is no better way to be introduced to the greatness of this house than this reserva from an excellent vintage.