2014 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia: Uncompromisingly traditionalist Rioja

Released today, 2014 López de Heredia Tondonia

It probably seems odd to be reading a pre-release offer in 2026 about a wine from the 2014 vintage, but that's the way things roll at López de Heredia. This ultra-traditionalist bodega is one of the grand old wineries of Rioja, still following a winemaking model that was established in the nineteenth century. Their best fruit is fermented in large oak vats, then aged in Bordeaux-style barrels for six years (yes, six years). It is all American oak, mostly old, and made in their in-house cooperage. The wine then reposes in bottle for another five or so years until it is released, when the winery finally judges it to be ready.

The greatest asset at López de Heredia is not their old-school approach, but the Tondonia vineyard itself. In a region that built its winemaking industry on cooperatives and growers selling fruit, López de Heredia has always been an outlier in owning its own vineyards. Tondonia is the flagship, meticulously assembled from the purchases of yesteryear. It lies on the border between Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, on clay and limestone soils, sloping down towards a bend in the River Ebro.

2014 was a chequered vintage in Rioja, but one which has led to some lovely, energetic wines. While some might already be fading, 2014 Tondonia is still a tense youth with a long potential cellar life ahead. The bouquet is already glorious, mingling pomegranate with orange, cured leather and clove. It’s mainly Tempranillo, but a minority blend of other grape varieties (Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo) brings structure, acidity, complexity and flavour diversity. /NT

Offered subject to remaining unsold. Wines available autumn 2026. To place an order, click on the wines below or call 020 7638 5998