- 1987 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (2/2/2024)
Thank goodness this was a better bottle than the one I opened three years ago. This bottle came from my late father’s cellar. It was a birthday gift to him nearly 20 years ago, but he never opened it. One the first anniversary of his passing it seemed appropriate to open it. After successfully dealing with the brittle wax on top, the cork came out in one very solid piece. So did an aroma of saddle leather and cherry preserves. A touch thin and jangly on the palate at first, it fleshed out after thirty minutes to be balanced, old wine. I put the bottle aside for ninety minutes to prep dinner (actually pick up takeout), and then settled in for a full glass with my meal. The depth had increased threefold and the fruit freshened. It also developed a dusty, herbal overtone. Medium-bodied, impeccably balanced, and incalculably long, after another hour I was reconsidering having opened it. There still upside here. Ultimately though, it was nice to enjoy the wine over a few hours, remember my dad, and enjoy a nice Friday evening with my biggest supporter, my wife.
Please open your good bottles. Open them with friends. Open them with family. Open them with a burger at In-n-Out Burger with Paul Giamatti. Just open them.