Viña Bosconia Reserva 2011

A very complex, aged Rioja with savory plums, mushrooms, bark, red earth, orange peel and cedar. Quite juicy, fresh and bright on the palate with a tangy, zesty palate, full of berries and oranges. Firm, long and complex with a mouthwatering finish. Such a traditional taste! Drink now or hold.

Exhibiting a little more concentration than the 2010 release, balanced by the freshness that's a feature of Mercedes López de Heredia's reds, this is a serious, layered cuvée of Tempranillo with 15% Garnacha and just 5% of Mazuelo and Graciano combined. High toned and balsamic, with a volatile lift, understated oak and plenty of acidity and minerality. Earthy and complex. 2022-30.

2011 was a warmer and riper year, but there's not a huge difference between the 2011 Viña Bosconia Reserva and the 2010; this is perhaps mellower, with more integrated acidity. It's 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.3 and 6.7 grams of acidity measured in tartaric acid per liter, and it fermented in the 144-year-old oak vats and matured in used American oak barrels for five years. 88,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2018.