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Losada 2014
Price: $19.00 (average US retail)
Size: 750ml
Winery: Losada Vinos de Finca
Vintage Year: 2014
Highest Rating: 91pts (
Wine Spectator)
Country: Spain
Region: Castilla y León
Appellation: D.O. El Bierzo
TASTING NOTES
From managed vineyards on more gentle slopes in which clay soils predominate, is aged nine months in French oak and expresses the more tender and juicy side of the Mencía variety.
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PRESS
Losada (2017) - "Attractive, ripe and bright purple berries with raspberries here, too. The palate has a silky, elegant and plush feel with fine and sleek tannins, carrying fruit in fresh mode."
95 Points
James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, Jul 24, 2019
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Losada (2017) - "Ripe black fruit, huge varietal expression, freshness and succulence, waxy, creamy, spicy, balsamic and mineral notes, nuances, exceptional texture and citric acidity, balance and with a fine cocoa and smoked peat finish."
95 Points
Guía Semana Vitivinícola 2019, Jul 19, 2019
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Losada (2016) - "Sexy, stylish and complex Bierzo with a wealth of dark graphite and stony aromas, pepper, baking spices and dark berries. Succulent palate with a deep and juicy core of pitch-perfect, ripe and spicy black cherries and blackberries. The tannins are immaculate. Long and regal. Drink or hold."
96 Points
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, Aug 2, 2018
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Losada (2016) - "This dark ruby colored Mencia is a very good introduction to this grape. It opens with a black cherry and leather bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and very juicy. The flavor profile a mineral influenced tart plum with notes of black tea. I also detected some hints of wild strawberry and black pepper. The finish is dry and its dusty tannins linger and last for quite some time. I would pair this Mencia with a slow cooked beef brisket. Enjoy."
90 Points
Ken Hoggins, Ken's Wine Guide, Mar 20, 2019
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Losada (2016) - "Lithe and lively, this red shows a core of fresh black cherry flavors, backed by licorice, cocoa and light leafy notes. Light tannins and fresh acidity are balanced, giving way to floral and mineral details on the finish. Drink now through 2022."
90 Points
Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, Jul 31, 2018
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Losada (2015) - "A sweet raspberry nose that is so fresh and pure. Electric tension between the fruit, tannins and acidity, and a great texture too. A stunning wine that redefines what Spanish red wine can be. Drink now."
95 Points
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, Aug 15, 2017
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Losada (2015) - "Ripe, fleshy, minerally blackberry and black-cherry aromas are pure, deep and suggest high quality that’s confirmed later on. In the mouth, this Mencía from an excellent vintage is racy and pumped up, with acidic energy and tannic grab. Roasted black-fruit flavors come with notes of spice cake and salt. A long, full finish confirms how good this is; drink through 2022. "
91 Points, Editors' Choice
Michael Schachner, Wine Enthusiast , Nov 1, 2017
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Losada (2014) - "Generous yet focused, this red delivers black cherry, plum, blood orange, chocolate and toasty flavors, with savory notes of licorice and fennel. Light tannins and citrusy acidity support the fleshy texture. Expressive. Mencía. Drink now through 2021."
91 Points
Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator , May 31, 2017
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Losada (2013) - "This red is harmonious, showing richness and focus, with a polished texture that carries expressive flavors of black cherry, licorice and tar, while lively acidity and light, firm tannins impart backbone and balance. Drink now through 2020."
91 Points
Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator , Apr 1, 2017
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Losada (2013) - "They reduced the amount of oak for the 2013 Losada, trying to show more the Mencía character in the wine. The nose denotes more freshness, it doesn't seem as concentrated as in previous vintages, and the palate also shows better balance. I like the direction this cuvée is going within the house style. There were 92,428 bottles and 300 magnums produced.ripeness with freshness. The palate shows great intensity of flavors and power with balance. A very good, young and powerful Mencía."
90 Points
Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate, Apr 27, 2016
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Losada (2013) - "Meaty leathery blackberry aromas are less dressed up and polished than in past vintages. This Mencía feels jammy, wide and chunky, while flavors of spicy blackberry are limited. A toasty oaky lightly charred finish closes out this full-bodied offering from a tough cool year. "
89 Points
Michael Schachner, Wine Enthusiast, Apr 1, 2017
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Losada (2012) - "This polished red offers black cherry, blackberry, blood orange and vanilla flavors, fresh and expressive, with light, firm tannins and tangerine acidity. Shows density and balance, delivering an enticing floral finish. Drink now through 2022. "
92 Points
Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, May 1, 2016
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Losada (2012) - "Bright ruby. Aromas of ripe red and dark berries, smoky minerals, anise and potpourri. Sweet, penetrating and pure, offering ripe black raspberry and cherry flavors that deepen and spread out on the back half. Delivers a solid punch of flavor but comes off as lithe, finishing with strong thrust and persistence and sneaky, late-arriving tannins.
"
91 Points
Josh Raynolds, Vinous, Jan 1, 2016
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Losada (2011) - "Toast, dark chocolate and licorice flavors frame the black cherry and plum fruit in this expressive red, accented by mountain herb and mineral notes. Broad-shouldered but graceful, with integrated tannins and firm acidity. Drink now through 2021."
92 Points
Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, Dec 1, 2014
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Losada (2011) - "Deep violet color. Deeply pitched cherry and boysenberry aromas are lifted by peppery spice, mineral and floral qualities. Sappy and expansive on the palate, offering pliant black and blue fruit flavors that become sweeter with air. A hint of smoked meat comes up with air and carried through the persistent finish, which is firmed by fine-grained tannins. Nicely plays richness off of finesse and has the balance to age."
91 Points
Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar, Sep 1, 2014
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Losada (2010) - "(100% Mencía, fermented and aged in French and American oak): Vivid ruby. Black raspberry, cherry-vanilla and musky sassafras on the pungent nose. Fleshy and expansive, offering sappy red and dark berry flavors and a suave note of candied flowers. Picks up spiciness with air and finishes on a smoky note, with very good cut and minerally persistence."
90 Points
Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar, Sep 1, 2013
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Losada (2010) - "A plush texture carries generous flavors of blackberry, licorice and dark chocolate in this modern red, while well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity maintain focus. A nicely balanced wine. Drink now through 2016."
89 Points
Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, Sep 1, 2013
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Losada (2009) - "Hard to imagine anyone not liking this deep, lush, purple Mencía from Bierzo. A concentrated, minerally, toasty black-fruit nose sets up blackberry, boysenberry, prune, juniper and beef jerky flavors. On the finish, it's sultry, dark an peppery, There's all sorts of power and sizzle to this; drink through 2019."
92 Points
Michael Scachner, Wine Enthusiast, Dec 31, 2013
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Losada (2009) - "This alluring red is plush and tender, and brims with cherry, wild berry, herb and mineral notes, joined by accents of vanilla and toast. The structure is lacy, but there's intensity to the flavors, and a long, clean finish. Drink now through 2016. 8,000 cases made."
91 Points
Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, Oct 1, 2012
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Losada (2009) - "This opaque and dark ruby colored Mencia opens with very mild blackberry bouquet with a hint of oak. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and very smooth. The flavor profile is a gentle oak and mineral infused gentle black currant. I also detected notes of black pepper and black licorice. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins are both sticky and show nice length. This Old World wine would pair well with beef bourguignon. Enjoy."
90 Points
Ken Hoggins, Ken's Wine Guide, Mar 1, 2013
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Losada (2009) - "Still tannic, with lingering flavors of smoky red fruit."
**, Top Rated Wines from Bierzo
Eric Asimov, New York Times, Sep 19, 2013
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Losada (2008) - "Powerful nose, concentrated fruit, blackberry preserve, toasted and creamy oak, liquorice, some smoky and mineral notes. Equally powerful palate, concentrated fruit, with a lovely acidic bone, fine tannins, fleshy red drupes, well-integrated oak."
92 Points
Guía de Vinos la Semana Vitivinícola, Aug 1, 2012
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LOSADA VINOS DE FINCA WINERY INFO
Overview: Losada Vinos de Finca was established by Bierzo winemaking veterans in 2004,
its beautiful ultra-modern facility located in the heart of Bierzo’s finest
vineyard area, in the very midst of the old Mencía vines.
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History: Losada Vinos de Finca was established in 2004 on the outskirts of the village of Pieros, on the Camino de Santiago, midway between Cacabelos and Villafranca del Bierzo, opposite the ruins of Castro Ventosa, Bierzo’s Roman-era fortification.
Losada’s founding philosophy was to take the region’s wines to higher level, prioritizing elegance, balance and purity of expression through limited production and adequate, but not excessive, technology. They sought out old Mencía vineyards planted on primarily clay soils, a terroir which had been relatively overlooked by the Bierzo new wave of the 1990s in its ‘rush to slate’.
The skins of Mencía grapes grown on clay soils are more hydrated and less thick, the structure more mellow, the wines generally softer in feel. Fresh acidity (the backbone of Bierzo wines) in combination with this tenderness, created an elegance that is now considered a principal characteristic of Bierzo wines.
Every part of the winemaking process is unhurried. The sustainably-farmed fruit is harvested by hand and undergoes rigorous selection on the vine so that additional sorting at the winery is minimal. After de-stemming, the grapes are gently crushed and fermentation begins naturally using the indigenous yeasts. Fruit from individual plots is kept separate in order to better observe and interpret the variety from each location, a traditional non-interventionist technique that aims to showcase the soil. Cooperage is 100% French, with a minimum barrel capacity of 300L. All techniques are adjusted according to the character of the vintage, and the wines are differentiated according to vineyard origin rather than the length of time spent in the barrel.
Link to New York Times article "Beguiling Reds from Bierzo" (pdf): http://classicalwines.com/Wineries/winery_68/Losada_NYTimes.pdf
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