Sip happens! – Issue No. 5
This month, Fabio took the lead as host and invited Daniele and Pasquale a good friend and our first guest to ever join our blind tasting. One of the wines had been on our wishlist for ages, and the other is a true legend we always love and come back to.
For all our Swiss German followers (and if you wanna test the YouTube translation), don’t miss the recorded tasting session on YouTube—consider it a little bonus content we’ve prepared just for you!
Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva 2011 – R. López de Heredia, Spain
Most people around the table met this wine and said the same thing: “This smells… old‑school.” And that was exactly the point.
In reality, it was Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva 2011 from López de Heredia – one of the most traditional producers in Rioja, famous for taking patience to another level. The 2011 vintage spent years resting in old oak and then even more time in bottle before release, so by the time it reached our glasses it was already over a decade old and full of character.
In the glass, it showed:
Color: Ruby with a brick‑orange rim – that classic aged Rioja look.
Nose: Dried red fruits, orange peel, warm earth, tobacco leaf, leather and a touch of spice – more autumn forest than fruit bomb.
Palate: Medium‑bodied, zesty acidity, savory tannins and those earthy, spicy notes that keep unfolding with air, a little touch of Rum.
Some tasters called it “old‑man wine in the best way”, others picked up notes of iron and dried herbs that made it feel almost nostalgic. It’s not a flashy, modern Rioja with sweet oak and jammy fruit – it’s calm, serious and quietly confident, the kind of bottle you open with slow‑cooked food and good conversation.
Grapes: Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Mazuelo
Region: Rioja Alta DOCa, Spain
Vineyard: Viña Tondonia
Vineyard Age: Over 100 years
Soil: Limestone & clay with alluvial influences, iron-rich
Altitude: 300–400 m a.s.l. along Ebro River
Vinification: Natural fermentation in old American oak vats, extended maceration
Aging: 6+ years in used American oak barrels, then bottle-aged
Alcohol: 13.5% vol.
Winemaker: López de Heredia family (María José & Julio López de Heredia)
First Vintage: 1903 (Reserva category established decades ago)
Price: ~40.– CHF
Mille e una Notte 2020 – Donnafugata, Sicily, Italy
This wine felt like walking into a completely different movie. This one came in dark, glossy and intense – some tasters guessed New World immediately, others went straight to southern Italy.
Under the blind tasting cloak, it turned out to be Mille e una Notte 2021 from Donnafugata, an iconic Sicilian red built mainly on Nero d’Avola with support from international varieties. The name means “A Thousand and One Nights”, and it’s pretty fitting: this is a showpiece wine, made for drama and storytelling at the table.
In the glass, it showed:
Color: Deep, almost impenetrable ruby – a clear step up in intensity.
Nose: Black plum, mulberry and dark berries, wrapped in notes of black pepper, liquorice, cocoa and a touch of mint and balsamic lift.
Palate: Full‑bodied and velvety, with rich fruit, polished tannins and a long, warming finish that kept people going back for “just one more sip”.
Compared to the restrained, savory Rioja, this felt plush, modern and hedonistic, but still balanced by good acidity and structure. It’s the kind of bottle that can handle grilled meats, slow‑braised dishes – or just a long, late evening with friends and too many stories.
Grapes: Nero d'Avola, Petit Verdot, Syrah (and other varieties)
Region: Sicilia DOC, Sicily, Italy
Vineyard: Contessa Entellina estate vineyards
Vineyard Age: 20–40 years
Soil: Clay-limestone, nutrient-rich, hilly terrain
Altitude: 200–400 m a.s.l.
Vinification: Selective harvest, stainless steel fermentation, extended maceration
Aging: 14 months in French barriques, 24+ months bottle aging
Alcohol: 13.5–14% vol.
Winemaker: Donnafugata
First Vintage: 1995
Price: ~65.– CHF
Check out what glasses we use in our tasting and why Gabriel Glas is the right one for you!
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