Speaking of Rioja: 2004 Viña Tondonia

I paid $36.98 for this 2004 Rioja about three weeks ago. Given that “a good Rioja” should be cellared a decade or so, it is nice to find one that is ready to drink after have been bottle-aged before purchase. After a some rest in the wine cooler I opened this one up to accompany dinner.

The nose was very “woody” with strong evidence of time in oak. On the palate the fruit came alive. A delightful wine certainly! Very different from my usual domestic stuff. One note however: I failed to finish the bottle and re-corked it and placed it in a cool place overnight. By the next night it was unrecognizable from the night before. Almost undrinkable. This is also very different than the younger domestics I usually drink, as they always seem to stretch a few nights pretty well.

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