Winery notes (2008 Vintage)
"This vintage was qualified as very good by the DOC Rioja Board. Colour: Vibrant red leading slightly towards amber. Nose: Light fresh texture with notes of vanilla and dried berry aromas. Taste: Rich, very dry, smooth, developed. Firm tannins and good balance."
97/100 Tim Atkin MW (2008 Vintage)
"Tondonia's reds have been on an upward curve recently and are now at the same level as the bodega's world-class whites. This is a fine, elegant, savoury, low-alcohol blend of Tempranillo with 20% Garnacha and 5% each of Mazuelo and Graciano, combining summer berry fruit, racy acidity, granular tannins and an earthy, balsamic undertone. Good now, but this will develop further in bottle."
95/100 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, October 2020 (2008 Vintage)
"The nose of the 2008 Viña Tondonia Reserva is very elegant, fresh and with an herbal twist, starting to show the complexity of the aged wines that are sometimes still too young when they are released 10+ years from the vintage! The palate is medium-bodied, with lightness and depth, very classical with extra freshness and all that is needed for a long development in bottle. This is the more Tondonia of the two vintages I tasted side by side. There are notes of maple syrup, smoke, licorice and crisp fruit. The palate is more austere, crunchy and reveals the chalkiness of the soils. There's more definition and precision here."
95/100 James Suckling, November 2020 (2008 Vintage)
"Lots of dried fruit with plum, light raisin, chocolate and toasted oak. Some balsamic undertones. White truffles and dried flowers. Medium body, creamy tannins and savoury, balsamic undertones. Extreme and unique, as always."
94/100 Vinous, April 2021 (2008 Vintage)
"Dark, bright-rimmed garnet. An expressive bouquet displays red and black currant, dried cherry, cigar box, vanilla, rose oil and cured tobacco scents plus a baking spice topnote. Appealingly sweet and energetic red and dark berry, floral pastille and chewing tobacco flavours show tight focus and spicy cut. Candied rose and vanilla notes linger on the long, lively finish, which is framed by smooth, well-judged tannins."
93+/100 John Gilman, November 2020 (2008 Vintage)
"The 2008 Viña Tondonia Reserva is an absolute classic in the making. At age 12 the wine is still a puppy, and though very, very easy to drink now, it has still not developed any of its secondary layers of complexity that will arrive with further bottle age. The supremely refined nose delivers scents of black cherries, black raspberries, cigar smoke, a lovely array of Rioja spice tones, a touch of meatiness, a complex base of soil and a lovely foundation of oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and sappy at the core, with lovely soil signature and grip, suave, fine-grained tannins and a long, complex and tangy finish. To my palate, this beautiful wine deserves at least another six to eight years in the cellar before drinking, as there is still a lot to unfold here with the fullness of time. But, it is so perfectly balanced today that I fully expect to see a significant percentage of the bottles not make it that long! 93+"