2012 R. López de Heredia, Rioja Reserva "Viña Tondonia"

There are benchmark producers, and then there are legends. Take R. López de Heredia, the producer that most any wine expert would single out as the most important, region-defining in Rioja. Their labyrinthine cellars, filled to bursting with ancient barrels and wine stocks, hold the key to understanding this magisterial region, and today we bring you their signature cuvée. López’s “Viña Tondonia” 2012 is a single-bottle encapsulation of Rioja’s grandeur—an amalgamation of gleaming fruit and leathery earth, velvety texture, thrilling tertiary flavors and age-worthy structure. Lopez ages Tondonia for more than 10 years in its cellars before releasing it, so it comes out the gate in prime drinking condition, yet this is still a wine that will age in your cellar for as long as you can keep your hands off it. Tondonia from the ’60s is still drinking beautifully today, and this masterful 2012 is a prime candidate for 20+ more years of aging. That kind of upside is rarely (if ever) seen in th