From: Rioja, Spain
Blend: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo
Winemaker Notes. This wine has evolved perfectly showing a deep ruby color with shades of orandge. Its nose is persistent, full bodied and showing a lot of mature fruit, being dominated by the Tempranillo grape. Its taste is round, smooth, fresh, full of body and persistent.
Taste: The 2011 vintage of Viña Bosconia weaves a blend of eighty percent Tempranillo, augmented with notes of Garnacha and hints of Graciano and Mazuelo. This vintage has garnered admiration, with James Suckling awarding it 95 points, praising its "traditional taste" and savory, zesty palate. John Gilman extolled its pure and focused attributes, forecasting its peak maturity for 2023-2085+.
Critical Acclaim. JS 95. James Suckling. 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.
RP 92 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
Rating: 92+
Pairing: When indulging in the 2011 López de Heredia Viña Bosconia, let your senses dance with pairings like guinea fowl tagine, a curated charcuterie board, or a nice ribeye steak. The wine's profile also aligns beautifully with potatoes seasoned with chorizo, exotic curries, herbed lamb, and more. In fact, Rioja’s like this one is so versatile we’ve included a list by Fiona Beckett titled “Top pairings: The Best Food Pairings for Rioja.” Published on September 22, 2020.
These dishes will generally work with most riojas:
* Almost any kind of lamb dish from roast lamb to tender lamb cutlets grilled over vine clippings (a local favourite in the region) to slow braised lamb shanks or even a rogan josh. Shepherds pie, Lancashire hotpot, merguez (see the recipe below), moussaka . . . It’s hard to think of a lamb dish that doesn’t work with rioja.
* Many pork dishes especially cooked Spanish style with beans. Chorizo and morcilla (black pudding) are both good pairings for younger riojas as are jamon (ham) and albondigas (meatballs) making red rioja a good match for more robust tapas.
* Dishes with red peppers and/or pimenton or paprika
* Almost any kind of mild or medium-hot dish with chillies like chilli con carne and other chiles. (Rioja suits south-west American food and American barbecue)
* Dishes with saffron such as paella or Moroccan tagines - including, surprisingly, chicken with preserved lemon and olives and Mediterranean-style fish stews
* Older gran reserva riojas are especially good with roast game birds such as pheasant and partridge. Indian-style game dishes work well with younger riojas
* Cheese, especially hard sheeps’ cheeses such as Manchego, although a mellow rioja reserva is a generally reliable choice with a cheeseboard - unlike many reds.
Homemade Merguez
By Melissa Clark
About. It all started in the middle of the nineteenth century when French negociants visited the Rioja region to find alternative sources of quality grapes to transform into wine, since the phylloxera epidemic had decimated their vineyards. Our founder, Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic student in the art of wine making, followed closely in their footsteps.
Don Rafael fell in love with the region and especially the area around Haro, the mythical capital of the Rioja Alta region. He observed that there was a magical combination of soil and climate that would offer the perfect environment for producing wine that would eventually become world famous. Around 1877 he began the design and construction of the complex that is today known as the López de Heredia bodega (winery), the oldest in Haro and one of the first three houses in the Rioja region.
For over a century our emotions have been rooted in our love and passion for this land and its harvest. We cherish our heritage, and this combination of love and the rigorous quality standards we apply, have become our trademark and remains our maxim for today and the future.
Bodegas López de Heredia stands out as one of the few family-run bodegas regulated by the Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja - DOC (Appellation region).