Lopez de Heredia - Rioja Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva 2005

The 2005 Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva offers a nose of brandied cherries and subtle notes of brick dust, somewhat reminiscent of the Rayas wines, with a more pronounced Grenache profile even though it makes up only 10% of the blend (80% Tempranillo, with the remainder split between Graciano and Mazuelo). It comes from El Bosque, a sloping vineyard whose soil is less stony than that of Tondonia and which, as a result, bears less resemblance to a Châteauneuf. But the character is definitely there… It is a very seductive, Mediterranean, aromatic, vibrant, and expressive wine. Bosconia tends to age very well in the bottle, generally at a slower pace than Tondonia. It has an alcohol content of 12.5%, a pH of 3.4, and an acidity of 6.6 grams. Today, I preferred it to the Tondonia. 6,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in March 2019 after spending 14 years in old oak vats and neutral American oak barrels. 2026–2046

Both fully developed and full of energy, the 2005 Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia (80% Tempranillo, with Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo) offers aromas of forest floor, sandalwood, chestnut, and dried fruit on the nose. Intense yet refined on the palate, it features firm yet polished tannins, with the oak adding a subtle touch of bite to a chalky structure. A magnificent expression of the vintage, it retains all its liveliness. 2026–2050