R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva

The 2001 Vina Tondonia Reserva is bridled with a lovely nose of decayed red fruit, fireside hearth, a touch of mulberry and small red cherry. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, crisp red fruits (wild strawberry and cranberry) with a sharp, vibrant, tense, tannic finish that has immense precision. There is a slight saline note lingering in the mouth after the wine has (regretfully) departed. Drink now-2030+.

Combine old vines, traditional winemaking and the stunning 2001 season — then wait nine years. What you end up with is a wine built in four dimensions, the power and density of fruit rounded by time, the graceful hand of the winemaker capturing the season in subtle scents of rose and cherry-skin tannin. Everything about the wine is gentle while remarkably long, set to develop for another nine years or more.

Bright medium red. Expansive bouquet of musky red and dark berries, medicinal cherry, rose oil and Asian spices. Juicy raspberry and rose pastille flavors are framed by silky tannins and given a boost by zesty minerality. Packs a solid punch but comes off almost weightless. The tannins fade into the sweet fruit on the finish, which is strikingly pure and very persistent. Lovely right now.

This polished red delivers mature flavors of dried cherry, forest floor, tobacco and vanilla on a graceful frame. Fresh and lively. Drink now.