Vina Bosconia Red Rioja Reserva Bodega Lopez Heredia – 2015

Vina Bosconia comes from one of the Lopez De Heredia family’s three single vineyards in Rioja Alta, just outside the town of Haro.

On the nose this smells more Burgundian than Spanish, with a lovely mix of wild red fruit, Autumn leaves and undergrowth. On the palate it has more structure than Burgundy – although with 13.5% alcohol it does not feel any heavier. It is no coincidence that this is the only wine of their range Lopez Heredia bottle in Burgundian bottles! A blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha and 5% Mazuelo and Graciano aged for 5 years in used barrels. 2015 was a warm and sunny vintage in Rioja.

“The 2015 Viña Bosconia Reserva shows a darker color and a riper profile. It was a warm year, and the grapes were picked quite ripe. They struggled a little with the fermentations, and they had different lots and had to play with the blending and the percentages of other vintages that were allowed to be blended in the wine so it would be a more balanced wine with 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.3 and 6.7 grams of acidity. It was produced with a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho and the remaining 5% Graciano and Mazuelo, fermented in old oak vats with their yeasts and matured in those vats and in neutral American oak barrels over seven years. It also has some more rustic tannins, without the silky texture of some of its siblings.” 94/100 The Wine Advocate