Winemaker Notes
Deep cherry red color, intense depth, with violet notes on the edge. Complexity taken to the extreme, with medium intensity but enormously rich in nuances. Denotes an elegant compendium of aromas of ripe black fruits, accompanied by creamier and sweeter nuances of the barrel, and some spicy final notes. Very pleasant, its smooth fullness and voluptuousness are noteworthy on the palate. It is also very complex in the mouth, denoting excellent ripening and low yielding grapes from old vineyards.
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
The 2022 Matsu El Viejo comes from century-old vineyards in Toro. It was aged for 16 months in French oak. The nose delivers a ripe aromatic profile of dried plum, jam and balsamic herbs, framed by fine cedar and a hint of orange chocolate. Broad, plush and full-bodied, the palate finishes long and slightly concentrated. A powerful wine with a clear nod to elegance.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2022 Matsu "EL VIEJO" shows a deep ruby-purple color and opens with bold aromas of black fruits and cedar chest; full-bodied and richly layered on the palate, it delivers a firm structure with healthy, ripe tannins, while flavors of dark fruit and chewing tobacco unfold with depth and authority, finishing strong and resolute—an excellent match for Korean galbi or Chinese five-spice braised beef, where the wine’s power and savory edge lock in beautifully with the dish’s richness. (Tasted: March 26, 2026, San Francisco, CA)
Matsu (Toro, Zamora) is one of the first adventures of the Vintae Wine Company away from La Rioja. A region to which Vintae became committed after ascertaining the immense quality of its vineyards and the type of artisan viticulture that had always been conducted there, working the vineyard by hand and always allowing nature to complete its own cycles.
Hence, Matsu represents a journey through time, through three generations dedicated to life on the land. Youth, maturity and old age. Four wines originating in the D.O. Toro that have needed more tan one hundred years to be able to be elaborated with the grape from centenary vineyards (many prephylloxera), the wisdom inherited from generations of winemakers who continue to grow the vines naturally and the most ancestral techniques based on the principles of biodynamic agriculture.
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.