R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Tondonia Reserva 2013

Founded in 1877 by Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia is the oldest winery in Haro and one of the three oldest in the Rioja region. Located in the heart of the historic Barrio de la Estación (Station Quarter), the estate remains a family-owned benchmark for traditional winemaking.

The producer defines Viña Tondonia as its most iconic and famous vineyard site, situated along the right bank of the Ebro River in Haro (Rioja Alta), forming a natural shell-shaped landscape (meander) spanning over 100 hectares. Its alluvial clay and limestone soils, with abundant rounded river stones, offer exceptional drainage and complex mineral expression. The unique microclimate combines Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, contributing high natural acidity and extended ripening periods for elegant, long-lived wines.

López de Heredia is renowned for strict adherence to 19th-century methods, resisting modern industrial shortcuts. The winery crafts and repairs all of its oak barrels in its own on-site cooperage using neutral American oak. Wines spend far longer in oak than official Rioja Regulatory Council minimums—often aging 6 years in oak for Reservas, followed by hand-clarification with fresh egg whites (clarificación) and years of bottle refinement. Fermentation takes place in massive wooden vats (tinas) up to 140 years old, relying entirely on indigenous yeasts without added enzymes or temperature-controlled stainless steel.

The wine is made from a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, and the remainder Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan). All grapes are 100% estate-grown in the 100+ hectare Viña Tondonia vineyard. The 2013 vintage was unusually cool and rainy in Haro, with high rainfall (753 mm vs. the 530 mm average) and early summer hail and strong winds that reduced yields. Harvest began later than usual on October 7th, resulting in lower potential alcohol, higher natural acidity, and an exceptionally delicate, fine-boned wine.

Grapes are hand-harvested into traditional wooden tubs (comportas) to prevent crushing before arriving at the winery. Fermentation takes place in massive, century-old oak vats (tinas) without temperature-control systems. Fermentation relies entirely on natural, ambient microflora from the vineyard and barrel cellars—no cultured yeast strain additions or enzymes are used. The 2013 wine aged in neutral oak barrels for 6 years. To clarify the wine naturally, it is racked twice per year directly by hand, moving wine barrel to barrel under candlelight to leave sediment behind.

Before bottling, the wine is fined using fresh egg whites (clarificación) using time-honored artisanal methods. The wine is bottled without filtration. The 2013 vintage was bottled in November 2021. The bottled wine rests undisturbed in the estate's underground limestone cellars until deemed fully mature by the family for release.