Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Wednesday, July 20, 2022 - A blend of Tempranillo (80%), Garnacha (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano, the grapes sourced from the El Bosque vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in old and very large oak fermenters, aged for 5 years in barrels and then for a further 3 years in bottles before release. 13% alcohol. Tasted in a Bosconia 2011-2002 vertical.

Deep and moderately opaque blackish-red color. Somewhat restrained, quite ripe and nuanced nose with aromas of dark forest fruits, some dusty old wood, a little bit of licorice root, light ferrous notes of blood, juicy hints of black raspberries and black cherries, a touch of sun-baked earth and a whiff of balsamic richness. The wine is moderately ripe, dark-toned and somewhat evolved with a light-to-medium body and dry flavors of crunchy cranberries and brambly black raspberries, some savory wood spice, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light funky notes of animale, a hint of licorice root and a ferrous touch of blood. The nice acidity feels fresh and high, whereas the tannins come across as very gentle and easy. The finish is dry, long and crunchy with savory, somewhat evolved flavors of tart cranberries and lingonberries, some ferrous blood notes, a little bit of mushroomy earth, light woody notes of old oak spice, fruity hints of black raspberries and black cherries and a touch of balsamico.

A nice, fresh and fine-tuned Rioja from a lighter vintage. Seems to be lacking a bit in substance compared to the other vintages we tasted, but otherwise coming across as wonderfully nuanced and extremely old-school by any standards. Not a big or impressive Rioja by any means - even for a Bosconia this is a quite restrained and even a bit lean effort - but with its sense of balance, freshness and elegance, this is a lovely food wine by all means. I feel the aging potential is a bit limited here, so while the wine might continue to improve for some years more, I really don't feel it calls for any additional aging. It's in a great spot right now - but it will keep just fine for years more. Terrific value at 20,20€.

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