Viña Tondonia White Reserva 1996
- Characteristics of the vintage:
- Named as VERY GOOD. In Rioja, the vintages of 1994 and 1995 shadowed a bit the one of 1996. However it is our opinion that this year, in our winery, will be best of the three ones. The wines showed from the beginning and still do, after the years, the most perfect balance in all the parameters such as colour, flavour and taste. We harvested 830.000 kilos, both red and white grapes, after suffering spring frost in one of our tempranillo vineyards. It rained just enough in July and the harvest started earlier than a normal year. These white wines keep on evolving in a fantastic way, showing elegance and finesse as per the best vintages.
- Tasting note:
- Colour: Natural gold, developed. Nose: Fresh, complex and developed. Taste: Smooth, round, fine and developed.
- Grape Varieties:
- Viura (90%), Malvasía (10%), all from our own vineyards.
- Ageing period in barrels:
- 6 years, being racked twice a year and fined with fresh egg whites.
- Ageing period in bottle:
- Rest, unfiltered, bottled in 75 cl. bottles.
- Alcohol Volume:
- 12.5% Vol.
- Total Acidity:
- 6 g/l.
- Residual Sugar:
- Very Dry.
- Gastronomy:
- Perfect with all kinds of fish, irrespective of their preparation; grilled seafood, well-seasoned white meat (see below).
- Storage Tempertaure:
- 10 years in perfect conditions of constant temperature (57ºF / 14ºC) and humidity (75-80%).
- Serving Temperature:
- 57º to 61º F (14º-16º C) depending of mood and place.
- Quantity made:
- 20,000 bottles.
Old picture of the harvest in Viña Tondonia
Combines with dishes such as:
- All types of fish, ideally firm-fleshed:
- Grilled: sea-bass, sea bream, turbot, mackerel, underside of tuna, monkfish and hake neck cuts. In sauce: cod "al pil-pil" (poached in olive oil), cod "a la riojana" (with peppers and tomato), cod or hake cheeks, hake in parsley sauce, tuna with tomato, tuna with onions, monkfish in "sauce americaine" and so on.
- Rice dishes:
- Sticky, risotto-type rices in seafood stock.
- Fish stews:
- “Marmitako” potato and shellfish stew with lobster; potato and cod or monk fish...
- Eggs:
- A wide variety of scrambled eggs: with oyster mushrooms, prawns, garlic shoots, wild mushrooms and foie. Spanish omelette, or plain fried eggs.
- White meats:
- Roast or marinated chicken, turkey, duck, rabbit...
- Pasta:
- Sautéed with oyster mushrooms or seafood.
- Hard cheeses.