Viña Bosconia Reserva - 2011
R. López de Heredia
4.10 / 5.0
- Type
- red still, dry
- Region
- Rioja DOC, Spain
- Producer
- R. López de Heredia
- Vintage
- 2011
- Grapes
- Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo, Graciano
- Alcohol
- 13.5
- Sugar
- unknown
- Price
- 1014 UAH, 1180 UAH, 1035 UAH
- Cellar
- not available
Viña Bosconia is a Tempranillo-based blend from the El Bosque vineyard. Don Rafael used to make Rioja Cepa Borgoña - a Burgundy-style wine based on Pinot Noir. The El Bosque vineyard is situated next to the river Ebro at an altitude of 465 m. It consists of 15 ha: 11 of which are Tempranillo, 2 ha of Garnacha, 1 ha of Mazuelo and 1 ha of Graciano.
Viña Bosconia Reserva 2011 was fermented in large 144-year-old oak vats and matured in used American oak barrels (225L) for five years. It was bottled in May 2018. It is unfiltered but fined with fresh egg whites. In total, 88,000 bottles were produced.
Ratings
4.00 / 5.0·750 ml·@Wix Kyiv Office · A taste of Tondonia
Lovely take on elegance. An attractive bouquet of withered red flowers, dried cherry, bay leaf, dry forest floor, bay leaf, blood and wood. Smooth and fresh mouthfeel with a long and flavourful aftertaste. The finish is a bit animalistic and salty. Nice. The style is demanding, though.
Wine #1 on A taste of Tondonia event.
4.20 / 5.0·750 ml·@Home
Sophisticated and demanding style. So far, it's my favourite red by Viña Tondonia. Plum, dried cherry, wood, red flowers, bay leaf, blood, earth and musk. Medium body, well-balanced with mature tannin. It is fresh but not as aggressive as other reds by Tondonia. Long aftertaste with flavours of dried cherry, wood, red flowers and incredible musk finish. Beautiful yet not for everyone.
R. López de Heredia
We are in Haro, the mythical capital of the Rioja Alta region. Its ascension to a prestigious winemaking region was ignited by phylloxera. A curious insect, brought by accident from North America to Europe, devasted vineyards across the continent. The Great French Wine Blight drove many winemakers to alternative regions. The French settled in Rioja because they found potential there.
Rioja, like many other regions, has seen its ups and downs, reflecting Spain's history. Though, having potential is not enough. The wine doesn't make itself. Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta was an enthusiastic student when French negociants visited Rioja in search of alternative grape sources. He followed their footsteps and fell in love with Haro as he saw potential in the combination of soil and climate. Around 1877 he began the design and construction of the complex, known today as the López de Heredia bodega, the oldest in Haro and one of the first three houses in the Rioja region.
López de Heredia is famous for being true to their heritage and house style. Unprecedented old-school wine, a time machine trapped in a bottle. Today, María José López de Heredia runs the bodega. She says "tradition" doesn't mean immobility or opposition to change. The world and nature follow their own rhythm. So they need to be flexible while maintaining eternal principles and criteria.
López de Heredia produces wines in four ranges - Viña Tondonia, Viña Bosconia, Viña Cubillo and Viña Gravonia. All are named after vineyards.
Viña Cubillo has only one wine - a red Crianza. The three years that Cubillo spends in cask, plus four to five years in bottle before release, exceeds the legal levels for even Gran Reserva.
Viña Gravonia also consists of only one wine - a white Crianza. It is 100% Viura from 24 ha in the Gravonia (Zaconia) vineyard near the banks of the river Ebro. This vineyard ticks every conceivable box to produce white grapes which achieve ripeness and intricate character. It is further enhanced by four years in a cask and at least the same again resting in a bottle before release.
Viña Bosconia has two variants - Reserva and Gran Reserva. The former appears in a Burgundy bottle. It could be a hint of the elegant yet full-bodied wine within. The Gran Reserva is made only in exceptional years and is released only 20 years after the vintage.
Viña Tondonia is the most famous and largest set of vineyards of López de Heredia. It's made up of 100 ha of red and white grapes. Five wines are produced: Tinto Reserva, Tinto Gran Reserva, Blanco Reserva, Blanco Gran Reserva and Rosado Gran Reserva.