95 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "[$53 list] The 2001 Vina Tondonia Reserva is bridled with a lovely nose of decayed red fruit, fireside hearth, a touch of mulberry and small red cherry. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, crisp red fruits (wild strawberry and cranberry) with a sharp, vibrant, tense, tannic finish that has immense precision. There is a slight saline note lingering in the mouth after the wine has (regretfully) departed. Drink now-2030+. (Aug 2012)"

93 points Wine & Spirits: "[$53 list] Elegance and understatement are the classic hallmarks of fine Rioja, sustained in this estate-grown red from an exceptional vintage. The wine’s complexity begins in the light cranberry essence of its aroma, which deepens to cherries and adds zesty notes of orange peel as the flavors build in richness. Sleek and mature, this is the ultimate red for rack of lamb. (Dec 2012)"

92 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "(75% tempranillo, 15% garnacha and 5% each of graciano and mazuelo) Bright medium red. Expansive bouquet of musky red and dark berries, medicinal cherry, rose oil and Asian spices. Juicy raspberry and rose pastille flavors are framed by silky tannins and given a boost by zesty minerality. Packs a solid punch but comes off almost weightless. The tannins fade into the sweet fruit on the finish, which is strikingly pure and very persistent. Lovely right now. (Sep/Oct 2010)"

92 points Peñín Guide: "(75% tempranillo, 15% garnacha, 10% graciano, mazuelo). Colour: pale ruby, brick rim edge. Aroma: elegant, spicy, fine reductive notes, wet leather, aged wood nuances, fruit liqueur notes. Taste: spicy, fine tannins, elegant, long. (2011)"

91 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2001 Viña Tondonia Reserva is a beautiful example of this vintage, but this wine is still could do with a few more years in the cellar to allow its secondary layers of complexity to fully emerge. The bouquet is deep, vibrant and pure, as it delivers scents of cherries, raspberries, woodsmoke, sandy soil tones and plenty of clove-like spices in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure, with nascent complexity, a fine core, ripe tannins and very good acidity and grip on the long and elegant finish. This is destined to be a dynamite year for López de Heredia, and I look forward to tasting the Gran Reservas from 2001 when the time is right. Lovely bottle. 2012-2030+. (Sep/Oct 2011)"