Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red color. On the nose, it has an intense and multi-layered aroma, with notes of chocolate, ripe black fruits, and vanilla. The palate is round and silky, very unctuous with subtle hints of glycerin. Complex and interesting with the long mineral aftertaste.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Spiced blackberries, blueberries and hazelnuts, with a balsamic twist to the nose. Full-bodied and fresh on the palate with firm, creamy tannins that dissolve into a lengthy, spicy finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This deep garnet-colored Tinta de Toro has aromas of dried lavender, black currant and red raspberry. There are flavors of black plum, cigar box and ripe red fruits with a soft tannic backbone and a touch of saline minerality in the finish.
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.