Grand Cru Wine Merchants

The Finca El Bosque label has become one of the benchmarks for the modern style of Rioja. The 2005 Finca El Bosque is sourced from its namesake vineyard encompassing 3.66 acres planted in 1973. It went through malolactic fermentation in new oak followed by 16 months in new, mostly French, oak. Inky purple-colored, it has a sexy nose of toasty new oak, truffle, espresso, mineral, blackberry, and plum. This leads to a muscular, tightly wound, layered wine with gobs of fruit and enough structure to evolve for a decade. Lengthy and pure, this superb effort will be at its best between 2018 and 2040. -96pts WA (JM)