La Rioja Alta,Lopez de Heredia,Torre de Oña 2011,2012,2016

Provenance

The late David Brice was a respected wine connoisseur, collector and co-founder of Brice and Burnett – The Fine Wine Specialists (formerly Wine Cellar). His lifelong passion for wine from all corners of the world wine, and generosity, helped develop a culture of fine wine in South Africa and beyond. Always with value and authenticity in mind, the collection spans a wide range of styles from leading producers and diverse regions. The wines were professionally imported under refrigeration and carefully stored at Brice and Burnett (formerly Wine Cellar) thereafter. Many of the producers are not available in South Africa and provide an excellent buying opportunity.

For more detailed information on the lots, please feel free to contact Roland Peens (roland@briceandburnett.co.za). Roland spent many years sharing and enjoying these wines with David Brice and is happy to provide further insight into the collection.

Critics Ratings

La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Rioja Gran Reserva 2012
“Dry oak aromas are the greeting, and this smells earthy and cheesy in a classical way; along with that, this offers ripe scents of raisiny berry fruits and vanilla. A full palate is rich while holding on to its balance. Flavors of balsamic plum, berry fruits and tobacco finish bold more than fine and elegant.” - Michael Schachner, Wine Enthusiast, 94/100 (Oct 2020)

Lopez de Heredia Viña Bosconia Reserva 2011
“Really focused and fine, with a future ahead of it.” - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Mar 2023)

“Sourced from the Bosconia Vineyard in Rioja Alta, the 2011 Reserva Viña Bosconia is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. This garnet red wine presents aromas of sour cherry, cola, cedar and licorice, along with subtle hints of fresh herbs and dried flowers. Dry and medium-bodied, this nimble and silky red vibrates with a chalky, taut flow, compacted by reactive tannins. The 2011 is a textured, long-lasting wine, its years in bottle bestowing enticing, subtle complexity to this remarkable vintage.” - Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous, 94/100 (Dec 2023)

Torre de Oña Finca Martelo Reserva 2016
“The 2016 Finca Martelo comes from one of the longest harvests in their history. It's a blend of Tempranillo with 6% other varieties, Mazuelo, Garnacha and even white Viura intermixed in the field with a south-facing slope on very white soils. The grapes were hand picked, destemmed and crushed, then put through a seven-day cold soak before fermenting (uncrushed) in stainless steel followed by malolactic that took 98 days. The wine matured in used oak barrels, 80% American and 20% French, for 24 months with four traditional rackings. This wine has a separate winery with smaller vats for each of the plots, and the wine was kept in vat for a further six months before it was bottled in June 2020. It has 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.57. It has a lively and young color and a very expressive nose (the cold soak and the semi-carbonic maceration), and there is a strong spiciness despite the fact they never use any new oak. It's mellow and round, with glossy tannins and a very gentle mouthfeel, with good complexity and those chalky tannins. This is a young and more modern wine than the range from la Rioja Alta.” - Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Jul 2022)

“This has good focus to the flavors of baked black cherry and wild strawberry, sandalwood, dark chocolate and dried thyme in an accessible, medium-bodied package. This is enlivened by a touch of orange peel acidity, while light tannins firm the finish. Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Viura.” - Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator, 90/100 (Oct 2023)