Winemaker Notes
Ripened cherry red with ruby reflections. Clean and brilliant. On the nose there is good intensity with black fruits and spice notes bringing expression and complexity. There is a lively entrance, with medium structure and good balance. Notes of little black fruits, sweet spices such as cinnamon, a fresh touch of thyme and eucalyptus as well as a toffee and cacao background bringing complexity. The fresh and smooth tannin as well as the acidity make this wine long and expressive, fresh and elegant.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Ripeness and balance to this rich, flavorful red with chewy tannins and a dense, fruity center palate. It’s medium-to full-bodied, polished and focused. Drink in a few years. Try in 2021.
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Wine Spectator
This red shows concentration and grace, offering spice-laced cherry and red plum notes infused with anise, espresso and graphite elements. Refined, plush tannins give a nice feel throughout. Drink now.
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.