Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Dense and polished, this red is muscular yet balanced, with firm, well-integrated tannins and lively acidity supporting rich flavors of blackberry, cocoa, licorice and mineral. Monolithic now, but has real depth. Best from 2018 through 2028.
-
James Suckling
Big and powerful red defined by a stony, seaweed, blackberry and bay-leaf character. Complex and layered. Full-bodied and broad-shouldered with fine tannins and a fresh, spicy and earthy finish. Jammy and old-school Spanish red but impressive nonetheless. Drink now or hold.
-
Decanter
Fresh nose of ripe dark plums with nuances of minty notes, cigar box and spices. Concentrated and dense on the palate.
-
Wine & Spirits
Numanthia's most ambitious wine, this is a selection from a parcel of 120-year-old bush bines. It's a little shy in scent, with hints of fig and nuts. However, the character of the warm 2012 vintage is revealed in the wine's structure, a massive construction of fine, firm tannins that holds up an impressive concentration of fruit. The density of that fruit feels as thick as the vines that grow it.
Numanthia is located in the Toro region of Spain. Its four vineyards are located along the south bank of the Duero River.
The wine is named after a legendary Spanish city that was destroyed (after 20 yrs of resistance) by Roman legions. It is to Spain what the hilltop village of Masada is to Israel: a monument of history. Its 40 hectares of land are covered with an abundance of elements derived from the disintegration of Pliocene grit, clay and limestone.
Numanthia's first vintage was produced in 1998 and received a 95-point rating from Robert Parker. Since then, the Toro region has been producing wines that have begun to rival those of Spain's richest wine-producing regions of Ribera del Duero, Rioja and Priorat.
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.