Tempos Vega Sicilia Pintia 2009
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The aromatics on the 2009 Pintia are very intense with lifted wild strawberry, raspberry, mulberry fruit interlaced by dried herbs and just a mention of cigar box. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins that are in synch with the tobacco-tinged red fruit. This has very good structure and symmetry, while the finish displays fine tension and a long, spicy aftertaste.
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Wine Enthusiast
There’s no denying this wine’s force. It’s 15% ABV but balanced, with roasted berry, leather, toasty oak, graphite and prune aromas. The palate feels full, flush and without gaps, while flavors of blackberry, cassis, chocolate and spice finish exceedingly smooth, with loamy notes and leftover spice.
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Wine Spectator
Floral and spicy aromas lead to flavors of blackberry, coffee bean, licorice and tar in this graceful red. Features firm tannins under the polished surface, kept fresh by lively acidity.
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Vega Sicilia set themselves an ambitious challenge when they started purchasing vineyards in Toro in 1997. This region was well-known for wines of great character, but little finesse. For 4 years they perfected their style in secret, before finally releasing the 2001 under the name Pintia.
Toro is located further along the Duero river from Vega Sicilia, in hotter, wilder territory as one approaches the Portuguese border (after which, the Duero becomes the famous Douro of Port fame). Altitudes are slightly lower than in the Ribera del Duero, making for very hot days, but 500-700m altitudes stil mean big day-night temperature changes, so acidity and fruit are preserved.
The grape here is 100% Tinta de Toro, a thick-skinned local clone of Tempranillo. The Vega team carefully vinify the wine to extract only the finest tannins and maintain aromatic purity, and age one year in the highest quality French and American oak barrels. Pintia displays the style and class (elegance, even !) of a Vega Sicilia Group wine, but with the extra spicy, forceful presence of a Toro. Early critical reaction has been ecstatic, and pricing remains eminently reasonable for a wine of this quality.
Notoriously food-friendly, long-lasting and Spain’s most widely planted grape, Tempranillo is the star variety of red wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone. Somm Secret—Tempranillo claims many different names depending on location. In Penedès, it is called Ull de Llebre and in Valdepeñas, goes by Cencibel. Known as Tinta Roriz in Portugal, Tempranillo plays an important role in Port wine.
Spain's remote, high elevation Spanish wine zone between the regions of Bierzo and Ribera del Duero produces intense, full-bodied reds made from Tempranillo, locally called Tinta de Toro. This local variant has adapted to the region’s climatic extremes and recognizing its potential, top producers from Ribera del Duero and Rioja have invested heavily in its vineyards.