2010 was one of the finest vintages in recent times, and the 2010 Viña Tondonia Blanco Reserva is the textbook fine and elegant white where the 90% Viura is complemented by the 10% Malvasía and, according to María José López de Heredia, gives a mellower profile (honey and some more creaminess) and compensates for the bitter almond notes of Viura and the austerity, making the wine a little rounder. This is a phenomenal vintage of the white Tondonia, vibrant, balanced and fresh. (LG)

Nutty, cedary, typically oxidative style that this wine is famous for. The tertiary aromas are hard to describe – bitter orange, barley sugar (a type of hard candy), hay – all are in there. On the palate, very good acidity, particularly for this style of wine, and a wild/sour intensity that has notes of beeswax, linseed, non-sweet honey, more cedar. So full of flavour, it fills the mouth even at only 12.5% alcohol. Long, integrated oak-spicy and utterly mouth-watering. Chewy texture as if there were some tannins in here, maybe from the oak? Complex and long. Even though the oxidative character is already marked, no reason to think it won't continue to age well in bottle, given the chance. Bitter orange on the lingering aftertaste. A wine to spend the evening with. (JH)