TN: 1987 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia

WINE TALK
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  • 1987 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (2/2/2024)
    Thank goodness this was a better bottle than the one I opened three years ago. This bottle came from my late father’s cellar. It was a birthday gift to him nearly 20 years ago, but he never opened it. On the first anniversary of his passing it seemed appropriate to open it. After successfully dealing with the brittle wax on top, the cork came out in one very solid piece. So did an aroma of saddle leather and cherry preserves. A touch thin and jangly on the palate at first, it fleshed out after thirty minutes to be balanced, old wine. I put the bottle aside for ninety minutes to prep dinner (actually pick up takeout), and then settled in for a full glass with my meal. The depth had increased threefold and the fruit freshened. It also developed a dusty, herbal overtone. Medium-bodied, impeccably balanced, and incalculably long, after another hour I was reconsidering having opened it. There still upside here. Ultimately though, it was nice to enjoy the wine over a few hours, remember my dad, and enjoy a nice Friday evening with my biggest supporter, my wife.

    Please open your good bottles. Open them with friends. Open them with family. Open them with a burger at In-n-Out Burger with Paul Giamatti. Just open them.
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Agree 100%!

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What a nice way to pay tribute to your dad!

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I enjoyed reading this.

I had the 1961 Gran Riserva last year and it’s wild how long these wines will age. Great stuff.

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Hard to disagree with this one after we had a 1920 a few years ago - on the bottle owner’s 50th (and bottle’s 100th) birthday!

Both were still alive and kickin’

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Well said @David_Bu3ker

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Agreed: a beautiful remembrance and sentiment @David_Bu3ker . Wine at its best is a connection to others both past and present, it’s why we love it.

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My uncle got me into wine. He had an unfortunate accident in 2019 just as i started getting into wine heavily. He passed away in 2023 and wish i could have shown him my collection and wines!