On the nose: reminds me exactly of spiced apple cider and apple sauce: stewed apples and baking spices. Also get a little hint of peach and dried apricots.
Palate: A rollercoaster of flavours. Upfront predominant apple peel. Thick and oily mouthfeel. Medium body. High acidity. Follows with a citrus gauntlet: lemon, orange, grape fruit, and then to baking spices and roasted hazelnuts. Lots of oak influence but well integrated. Comes back to apple in the finish and closes out with a wave of salinity and minerals, like drinking the ocean. Quite savory and classic oxidative notes. Very long finish, with the salinity staying on your palate for a good 30 seconds+.
Incredible wine, and certainly unique. From the first sip, for a second you think you are drinking a sweet spiced apple cider but it instantly morphs into an incredibly complex dry wine. This 2013 is the most recent release from the winery and it drinks beautifully. Recently I drank a 2016 Gravonia and the Viña Tondonia is a significant upgrade in quality. Noticeable more oak flavours than the Gravonia due to the longer time (6 years vs 4 years) spent in oak barrels. I think the oak will better integrate overtime. While this wine is 12 years old, it still feels young, and seems like it has a lot of life ahead.
After opening, it was a little closed on the pop and pour but opened up very nicely over a few hours. I had a couple glasses right after opening and revisited it a few hours later and it was much more powerful. I highly recommend drinking it on the cooler side, I have found for this wine and the Gravonia, the warmer the wine gets the more the alcohol comes out and you start to lose some of those lovely tertiary flavours. Luckily I have a number of the 2013’s left which I imagine will get even better with age.
95 points
The pairing: I stopped at Taco Bell and ordered a Chalupa Supreme and a Cheesy Gordita crunch, both with chicken. I felt like out of all the menu items, which are predominantly beef, chicken would pair the best with a white Rioja. I figured the high acidity of the wine would cut through the fattiness of the food, and the savory nuttiness of the wine would help complement the roast chicken. The acidity did cut nicely through the fattiness of the fried chalupa shell, the cheesiness of the Gordita Crunch, and the sour cream, but the flavour of the food was bold enough to cover the fruity flavours of the wine, making the wine just taste like sea water. Not a very good pairing. I think this wine would probably pair best with seafood. Perhaps I might try a Filet O Fish for the next time?
1 Comment
90% Viura, 10% Malvasia
12.5%
Color: golden yellow
On the nose: reminds me exactly of spiced apple cider and apple sauce: stewed apples and baking spices. Also get a little hint of peach and dried apricots.
Palate: A rollercoaster of flavours. Upfront predominant apple peel. Thick and oily mouthfeel. Medium body. High acidity. Follows with a citrus gauntlet: lemon, orange, grape fruit, and then to baking spices and roasted hazelnuts. Lots of oak influence but well integrated. Comes back to apple in the finish and closes out with a wave of salinity and minerals, like drinking the ocean. Quite savory and classic oxidative notes. Very long finish, with the salinity staying on your palate for a good 30 seconds+.
Incredible wine, and certainly unique. From the first sip, for a second you think you are drinking a sweet spiced apple cider but it instantly morphs into an incredibly complex dry wine. This 2013 is the most recent release from the winery and it drinks beautifully. Recently I drank a 2016 Gravonia and the Viña Tondonia is a significant upgrade in quality. Noticeable more oak flavours than the Gravonia due to the longer time (6 years vs 4 years) spent in oak barrels. I think the oak will better integrate overtime. While this wine is 12 years old, it still feels young, and seems like it has a lot of life ahead.
After opening, it was a little closed on the pop and pour but opened up very nicely over a few hours. I had a couple glasses right after opening and revisited it a few hours later and it was much more powerful. I highly recommend drinking it on the cooler side, I have found for this wine and the Gravonia, the warmer the wine gets the more the alcohol comes out and you start to lose some of those lovely tertiary flavours. Luckily I have a number of the 2013’s left which I imagine will get even better with age.
95 points
The pairing:
I stopped at Taco Bell and ordered a Chalupa Supreme and a Cheesy Gordita crunch, both with chicken. I felt like out of all the menu items, which are predominantly beef, chicken would pair the best with a white Rioja. I figured the high acidity of the wine would cut through the fattiness of the food, and the savory nuttiness of the wine would help complement the roast chicken. The acidity did cut nicely through the fattiness of the fried chalupa shell, the cheesiness of the Gordita Crunch, and the sour cream, but the flavour of the food was bold enough to cover the fruity flavours of the wine, making the wine just taste like sea water. Not a very good pairing. I think this wine would probably pair best with seafood. Perhaps I might try a Filet O Fish for the next time?