Founded in 1877 by Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, Snr López established the legendary Tondonia vineyards on the alluvial slopes overlooking the River Ebro on the cusp of the Alta and Alavesa wine sub-regions. A visionary and a romantic, his aspirations were impressive – not just for his wines but architecturally as well. His family continue his legacy and spirit led by sisters Maria Jose & Mercedes and this is without question one of the great wineries not only of Spain but of the world. The Lopez de Heredia portfolio extends over four autonomous vineyard areas, of which Tondonia is both the largest and the most famous. The other three are Cubillo, Bosconia and Gravonia; each with distinctive terroir and aspect and differing grape composition and styles of wine. The estate has 170 hectares of vineyards with 124 in production. Wines are fermented in old wooden casks, often centenarian, and aged for a long period (as they always have been) including some years in one of the 14,000 + barrels in the labyrinth of cellars (over 6,000 square feet) under the winery that span out towards the banks of the Ebro River. Only American oak is used but as the winery has its own cooperage they purchase whole trees to split and age outside before making into barrels that are repaired and tended over their long lifespan. These neutral barrels impart minimal new oak flavours into their wines – essential when aging profiles much exceed the minimum span required. The most traditional of all wineries, their heritage and stability of process, people and supreme quality are a hallmark of each of their wines.

Bodegas R Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Tinto Reserva 2013
13% abv
“The 2013 Reserva Viña Tondonia is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo, grown in the calcareous soils of the Tondonia meander in Rioja Alta. Aged extensively in American oak, it offers restrained black fruit, wild herbs, balsamic hints and sweet spices with gentle cedar and vanilla notes. Medium-bodied with chalky grip and a layered, tertiary finish, this is a benchmark classic—refined, enduring and unmistakably Tondonia.” 2025 -2055
97 Points, Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous, May 2025
“The canonical red 2013 Viña Tondonia Reserva has a developed nose of dried roses and tar that transported me to Piamonte but soon took me back to the López de Heredia cellars in Haro with the mixture of mushrooms, truffles, damp earth and decayed leaves, hints of brick dust and spice. 2013 was a rainy year, with 753 liters of it, well above the average of 530 liters in Haro. It was also a cooler year, and the ripeness was slow, so they didn’t start picking until the seventh of October, but they had to hurry up because of the risk of botrytis. The crop was not so big, because they suffered from hail in July that affected the Viña Tondonia, coupled with strong winds that broke many branches. The breakdown in 2013 comes to 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in old oak vats with indigenous yeasts. All the wines age in old American oak barrels in their caves, in this case for no less than six years. It comes in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.4 and 6.6 grams of acidity, perhaps a lighter vintage with higher acidity that translates into a lot of energy, a fine-boned palate and very fine tannins with a vibrant finish. 190,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2021. It should be released in the spring of 2025, almost 12 years after the harvest. And look at the price…” 2025 -2040
95 Points, Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate, Feb 2025
A blend of approximately Tempranillo (75%), Garnacho (15%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%). 6 years in used 225l barrels in the historic Haro cellars of the Bodegas
Between 1913-1914, Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, while laying the foundations for his industrial facilities, planted Viña Tondonia, giving rise to the winery’s best-known product. Viña Tondonia is a beautiful vineyard of more than 100 hectares, located on the right bank of the Ebro River, where the most typically Riojan vinifera are grown. The Tondonia Vineyard is the most spectacular in Haro. Located in a shell and embraced by the Ebro forming a peninsula, it forms a landscape of alluvium, limestone and poplars.
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2013 | Bodegas R Lopez de Heredia | Bonded | Carignan/e (Mazuelo) | Europe | Graciano | Grenache (Garnacha/Cannonau) | Red | Rioja | Spain | Still | Tempranillo (Tinto Fino / Tinto Roriz / Tinto de Toro) | Wine- Reference #:
- 24218_B
- Strength
- 13 ABV
- Bottles per Case
- 6 bottles
- Grapes
- Carignan/e (Mazuelo), Graciano, Grenache (Garnacha/Cannonau), Tempranillo (Tinto Fino / Tinto Roriz / Tinto de Toro)
- Organic
- No
- Biodynamic
- No
- Vegan
- No
- Vegetarian
- No
- Sparkling
- No