{"product_id":"lopez-de-heredia-vina-tondonia-rioja-reserva-2013","title":"Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva 2013","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe Land\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eViña Tondonia is one of the most storied single vineyards in Spain: 100 hectares in a natural bowl formed by the bend of the Ebro River in Haro, which López de Heredia has farmed since 1913. The soils are alluvial clay with high limestone content — well-drained, mineral-rich, and among the most reliable terroir in Rioja Alta. Average vine age is around 45 years. The 2013 growing season was one of the most challenging in recent memory: heavy spring rains and cold temperatures pushed the cycle back two to three weeks, producing Rioja's latest harvest on record, with grapes still being picked on November 8th. Yields were among the smallest in years. The Regulatory Council rated the vintage \"Good\" — a score that undersells the wine's aromatic precision and structural integrity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo, fermented in large wooden vats with native yeasts, no fining or filtration. Six years in 225-litre old American oak barrels made in the estate's own coopery, then additional years in bottle before release — the 2013 arrives roughly a decade post-harvest, fully resolved before it leaves the cellar. The American oak shapes the house character: dried cherry, tobacco leaf, cedar, dried orange peel, aged leather, dusty stone. Garnet with an orange rim, medium-bodied, precise, and dry — the 2013's cool-harvest aromatics and natural structure suit the López de Heredia style exceptionally well. Bottled in a Bordeaux-shaped bottle, telegraphing what the wine is: structured, austere, built for age, the counterpoint to the rounder, Burgundy-bottled Bosconia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe People\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eR. López de Heredia was founded in 1877 and has operated from the same address in Haro's Barrio de la Estación for nearly 150 years. Winemaking practices have remained essentially unchanged: fermentation in wooden vats, extended aging in old American oak, no filtration. The estate makes its own barrels in an on-site coopery, maintains over 13,000 barrels in sandstone-carved cellars, and releases wines only when the family considers them ready. The fourth generation, led by María José López de Heredia, now oversees operations. All vineyards are farmed organically, and no outside fruit is sourced. The winery is one of the few in the world that is entirely self-contained, from vine to barrel to bottling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lean, aromatic 2013 suits Tondonia well at the table. Roasted whole chicken with thyme and preserved lemon, leg of lamb slow-cooked with olives and garlic, or jamón ibérico with aged Manchego. The dry tannic structure also works alongside a mushroom ragù over pasta or grilled porcini. Ten years of patience are built into every bottle — worth extending that a little further at the dinner table.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VinMarket","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49635295953119,"sku":null,"price":72.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P5280211.jpg?v=1780011226","url":"https:\/\/denverwinemerchant.com\/products\/lopez-de-heredia-vina-tondonia-rioja-reserva-2013","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}