The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Bodegas R. López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Reserva 2012
Red WineIssue 42

Bodegas R. López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Reserva 2012

López de Heredia

NASRioja, Spain
López de Heredia releases wines only when they decide they're ready, and Viña Bosconia Reserva 2012 has spent years in the bodega's famous underground caves — a network of ancient cellars with stable temperatures and high humidity. The result is a wine that feels like it has already done the aging work for you. Open it and it's ready to converse.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried cherry and leather emerge first, followed by cedar and a gentle gamey quality. Beneath that, a faded rose petal note and something subtly earthy — like aged tobacco leaf — provide depth.

Palate

Silky and ethereal, with cherry and berry flavors wrapped in fine-grained tannins. Toasted oak and vanilla support rather than lead. There's a fascinating minty freshness at midpalate that keeps everything lively.

Finish

Long and elegant, with cedar, dried fruit, and a haunting floral echo.

Specifications
Varietal
Tempranillo
Blend
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo
Vineyards
Estate vineyards in Rioja Alta, Haro
Alcohol
13.5%
Organic / Biodynamic
No
Serve & Pair

Food Pairing

Roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic

The Story

From the legendary underground caves of Haro's Barrio de la Estación, where López de Heredia has aged wine since 1877, this Reserva spent years in American oak barrels in cellars so deep and cool that the winery still uses candles to check humidity.

Train These Aromas
Comments

Be the first to comment.

Leave a comment

0 / 4,000

First-time comments are reviewed before appearing. Be kind, be specific, no spam.

More Red Wine Reviews
Domaine de l'Hortus Grande Cuvée Pic Saint-Loup 2020
Red Wine

Domaine de l'Hortus Grande Cuvée Pic Saint-Loup 2020

Domaine de l'Hortus

Domaine de l'Hortus Grande Cuvée is a masterful expression of Pic Saint-Loup — a region where the altitude and dramatic temperature swings between day and night produce wines of remarkable freshness despite the Mediterranean heat. This is serious Languedoc red at a fraction of Rhône Valley prices.

Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Estates 2021
Red Wine

Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Estates 2021

Domaine de la Côte

Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman's estate-wide blend offers a window into their meticulous Sta. Rita Hills farming without the single-vineyard price tag. It drinks like Burgundy in its restraint and transparency, proving that California Pinot Noir can whisper rather than shout.

Domaine de la Bouïssière Gigondas Les Olivets 2021
Red Wine

Domaine de la Bouïssière Gigondas Les Olivets 2021

Domaine de la Bouïssière

The Faravel family farms old-vine Grenache and Mourvèdre on Gigondas's rocky Dentelles de Montmirail slopes, where low yields and extreme diurnal temperature swings build concentration naturally. Les Olivets is their flagship — a wine of real substance that never sacrifices drinkability for power. Give it thirty minutes in a decanter and it opens beautifully.

Pietradolce Etna Rosso DOC 2021
Red Wine

Pietradolce Etna Rosso DOC 2021

Pietradolce

Pietradolce farms some of the highest vineyards on Etna's north slope, and this entry-level Rosso punches well above its price. Nerello Mascalese shows its best here — transparent, mineral-driven, alive with tension. It's a red wine that feels like it was drawn from the rock itself.