2002 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Bosconia

Community Tasting Notes (64) Avg Score: 90.8 points

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  7/20/2022 - forceberry wrote: 90 Points

  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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  4/11/2021 - bags wrote:

  I suppose I'll never really love Spanish reds--even with the oak pretty resolved here, it remained obvious to me in some sense. But this was good and in its drinking phase now.

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  9/3/2020 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points

  Pleasant - the nose had a sweet, lifted cherry aromas alongside whiffs of fragrant cigarette smoke and menthol, all riding on a bed of earthy tones. The palate had mature sweet dried cherry flavours alongside a bed of earthy mineral, spice and smoke curling into a decent finish. Fresh blood orange acidity, fine tannins and a linger of sweet American oak toast filled up the rest of the palate into a decent finish. An enjoyable wine, if just a touch on the lean side, drinking nicely now.

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  7/23/2017 - JimmyBubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points

  En perfecto estado de revista, mezcla de vino añejo y sutil fruta aun viva.
  
  Cueros, cerezas, ollín....un desfile de aromas, intenso y bastante abierto, unas vueltas en la copa y empieza el festival.
  
  Lo mejor la boca. Increiblemente fina pero a la vez concentrada, un bisturí. Acidez maravillosa y un agarre en la boca de gran vino.
  
  Comprado en La Guardia hace un par de años ayer fue el momento de gozarlo, mucha curiosidad por ver su evolución en esa rara añada 2002. Sorprendente, la pena no poder encontrar ya más botellas.

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  3/25/2017 - forceberry wrote: 90 Points

  A blend of Tempranillo (80%), Garnacha (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano, the grapes sourced from the El Bosque vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in oak fermenters, aged for 5 years in barrels and then for a further 3 years in bottles before release.
  
  Somewhat translucent, deep and slightly developed black cherry color with some bricking towards the rim. Quite dry and savory nose - especially compared to the two more fruit-forward vintages 2004 and 2005 that were tasted alongside. There are some notes of ripe dark berries and hints of blackberry marmalade, along with some more savory notes of sour plums, but overall the fruit department feels a bit restrained with notes of soot, tar, some smoke, hints of salty licorice and a touch of mushroomy earth on the fore. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and pretty tightly-knit on the palate with rather savory flavors of licorice, tar, brambly blackberries, some peppery spice, a little bit of wild strawberries, a hint of astringent chokeberries and a touch of cedar. Overall the wine is quite structured with its high acidity and firm, moderately high and quite grippy tannins. The finish is dry, lively and slightly grippy with long flavors of tart dark berries, ripe blackberries, some black pepper and lighter nuances of more exotic spices, hints of dry and cracking leather and a touch of more developed characteristics of mushroomy earth and slightly dried berries.
  
  This is a pretty savory, somewhat restrained and rather dead-serious vintage of Bosconia, showing less fruit intensity and richness, thus coming across as quite dry, stern and a bit austere. Bosconia usually is lighter and more delicate is compared to Tondonia, but comparing this vintage to vintages 2004 and 2005 felt like comparing Bosconia and Tondonia again. The little oak what Bosconia might show while young was perfectly integrated with the fruit at this point - there were no vanilla notes to speak of and only things reminding of oak were very subtle nuances of cedar - and you could start noticing the first nuances of more developed tertiary character in the background. This particular vintage might never turn out as interesting and long-lived compared to the better vintages, but still this is a very lovely, serious and stylistically so very old-school Rioja, offering much more gastronomic and intellectual pleasure than so many of those modern Rioja Reservas and Gran Reservas the market is flooded with these days. Priced according to its quality at 20,20€.

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