WTN: 2004 Bosconia reserva

• 2004 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Bosconia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (13/04/2016)
  Was a little concerned this might be too young. Well I’m sure it will improve, but this was lovely now.
  Good complexity on the nose, with vibrant cherry-led fruit, strident aniseed, subtle oak in solid support and just a little fig on the fringes.

Initially not so complex on the palate, being more more dark-fruited, but really opens on with a peacock’s tail (closer to the nose) on the finish that carries good length. Acidity is nicely refreshing without being overbearing/piercing. Nothing much in the way of tannins, but there again I probably have a nebbiolo tainted palate now, so the goalposts may have moved.

Pretty confident of short-medium term improvement, but wouldn’t like to commit beyond that.

I had the 2001 the other night and really liked it. Looking forward to trying the '04.

Had the 01 Tondonia on Saturday which was lovely now, though I’m sure it will be much more interesting in 10 years.

I’ve had the '01 Tondonia bunch of times, and thought it was a bit drying - not really built to go very long.

And THIS is what makes a wine board.

I’ve polished off close to a case of the 01 Tondonia over the last few years (damn Cellartracker, with its indelible catalog of all one’s sins). Keeping my last 1/2 case indefinitely. I shall freely admit that I don’t have enough experience to guess how it will develop, but I’m interested enough in the outcome to keep my hands off the rest for a few years.

Looking forward to picking up some of the 04 Tondonia which I will also stock up on.

Thanks for the note on the Bosconia, Ian.

That’s no a descriptor I’d use. But then there often seems to be a lot of bottle variation with LdH and other traditional Riojas.

I noticed the 2004 Bosconia reserva has no sediment…(scratches head)

Counterfeit!

I wouldn’t expect it.

From a 12 year old wine?

Its not 12 years in btl, I think. Btl’d much more recently, I think.

I have had a reasonable number of LdH reservas, and they generally don’t contain enough sediment for me to bother decanting. My guess would be that as Rioja reservas spend a few years (and in the case of LdH, probably a few more) in barrel before bottling, much of the sediment is just racked out of them.

This.

They spend many years in casks before bottling.

I can agree with that.

• 2004 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Bosconia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (9/15/2018)
  Mother of God…this smells AWESOME!! There are multiple earth-based notes of soil, mushroom, clove, and something that reminds me of old wood. Like an old railroad tie that you found in your grandfather’s garage that’s been there for decades, those kind of old-earthy smells…and they’re glorious!! The palate is medium weight but the resolved tannins seem to give it a roundness almost as if the acidity barely provided a framework for the wine and then the acidity comes in and the mouth starts to salivate as waves of dried cherry, orange rind, clove smoke (yep the taste you get after smoking a clove), and a panoply of spice and mineral that seem difficult to wrap my head around. This is a wine I should have bought more of. Wow…way better than I was hoping or expecting from my last experience. Outstanding!!

Posted from CellarTracker

El Bosque is my favorite vineyard in the entire f’in world!

If you like the 04 reserva, go find a bottle of the 81 Bosconia gran reserva. Will blow your mind.

Awesome note, Kirk. Didn’t get any of the '04 but I’ve really enjoyed the '05 Bosconia. Already a complex nose. I have high hopes that in a few years it’ll mimic some of what you describe.

After this I may just have to…dear lord the nose on that wine. Everyone loved it…

Had the ‘05 Tondonia Reserva the other night, and it was very good indeed. Looks like several more years to go at least.