Viña Bosconia 1981 Gran Reserva

Wine: Viña Bosconia 1981 Gran Reserva

Winery: R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 5% Mazuelo and Graciano
ABV: 12.5%
Winemaking

The wine spent 6 months in oak vats to complete malolactic fermentation. It was then aged for 6 years in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels handcrafted by the winery's own coopers. The wine underwent two manual rackings (trasiegas) per year. Fined with fresh egg whites and bottled directly from the cask without filtration. It features a special wax seal to ensure optimal bottle evolution and protect it from contamination. Limited production of 5,000 bottles (75 cl). It was aged in the bottle for a minimum of 44 months prior to release. 

 

Tasting Notes
 

Appearance: Bright, pristine reddish-ruby with medium depth; showing orange highlights. The rim is broad and copper-toned, merging seamlessly with the meniscus.

 

Nose: What a monumental wine! This is the most fragrant and aromatic Rioja in the glass—the Rioja of yesteryear, deeply missed and so rarely encountered. It is an absolute delight: subtle, delicate, and ethereal, possessing an elegance and depth difficult to find in such a "young" red from LDH. To date, this is the finest nose I have ever encountered in a Bosconia. It offers a palette of fine woods, earthy notes, and concentrated fruit, all fused into an ensemble of extreme elegance that borders on perfection. This is not a wine to be drunk; it is a wine to be inhaled.

 

Palate: Everything is in perfect order: exquisitely polished, integrated, and firm, with velvety tannins and a finely spiced background that reveals floral registers (petals, pink peppercorn, withered flowers). Fresh, deep, and complex, it is endowed with flawless acidity. Excellent in every aspect. A wine as magnificent as it is scarce, as elegant as it is hard to find, which we have rescued to revisit the legendary 1981 vintage. It stands at the very forefront of that historic year, which birthed so many great wines. An essential Bosconia, almost magical. It is best not to pair it with other wines, as it simply overshadows them.

 

Personal Score: 98
Tasting Group Score: 99