On a sunny spring day I crossed over to Manhattan to check out the David Bowler Portfolio tasting.
With all of the chaos and time restraints that come with a tasting like this, it was pleasant to take a calm 15 minute chill out period with Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia to taste her families wines. When the winery was founded over 130 years ago Maria's Great Grandfather began making Rioja wines and it has remained the same since.
After tasting the gorgeous 2000 Gran Reserva Rose I moved onto some of their reds. I tasted the 2005 Cubillo Crianza and then looked down the line and realized Maria was pouring a vertical of Vina Tondonia all the way back to 1964!
She poured: Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia - 2001 Reserva (in magnum) 1994 Gran Reserva, 1976 Gran Reserva and 1964 Gran Reserva with a Bosconia Gran Reserva 1981 thrown in the mix.
Tondonia wines consist of 75% Tempranillo 15% Garnacha 10% Mazuelo and Graciano and usually spend 9 years in Barrel. The Bosconia vineyard is known for its complex minerality while the Tondonia vineyard produces wines with bolder fruit than minerality.
The 1981 Bosconia Gran Reserva had lost almost all of its fruit but was still very complex and drinkable with banging acidity, crazy minerality and herbal notes. The 1976 Tondonia Gran Reserva was insane and my favorite wine of the day. Amazing dried red fruits showing, a clay and dirty brick character with a generous length which made me look in the opposite direction of the spit bucket. The 1964 Tondonia Gran Reserva had much less desirable fruit but there were some surviving and it was quite dirty complex and long on the palate with a slightly weaker acidity.
Great pic of Maria José, Nico. Glad you could make it to the tasting. It was very good to catch up a bit.
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