2008 Icono

The 2008 Icono is from 90-year-old vines in Los Nobles and Las Compuertas, located at over 1,000 meters altitude. It is handpicked and raised in new French oak for six months and then it is transferred into new French oak again for a further 12 months. Given the effective 200% new oak regime, you cannot deny that the fruit does handle the oak well, although it is difficult to ascertain the terroir. The palate is sweet and ripe on the entry, with copious red berry fruit, marmalade and fig, more Napa Valley boldness in style. It is hedonistic and showy, but the oak oppresses the sense of terroir and personality. Drink 2014-2022. Luigi Bosca was established in 1901 by Leoncio Arizu and it remains in the family’s hands to this day. They own seven estates around Mendoza, which together make up over 700 hectares. As I tasted through the portfolio of wines from Luigi Bosca at the winery, I was impressed by their “lower-end” range, such as the “Finca La Linda” wines. Broaching the premium wines, to be honest, I felt the wines were simply trying too hard to impress and found myself hankering for the cheaper wines, which displayed better balance and more personality. This reached its zenith with the 2008 Icono, which undergoes a 200% new oak maturation. Patently there was some great fruit here from their 90-year-old vines, but their nuances were subjugated by the layering of new oak, like a girl wearing too much cosmetics. This explains my parsimonious scores for wines that would be transformed by a more judicious use of oak in the winery. Importer: Testa Wines, Oyster Bay, NY; tel. (516) 624-8474