(2004) 75% Tinta de Toro (a synonym for the Tempranillo grape) and 25% Garnacha (Grenache). Darkish, medium-density garnet colour. Lovely inviting nose, with lots of ripe redcurrants, cherry and plum, and a hint of spice. On the palate there's a tremendously sweet impression at first; blackcurrant jam and ripe Morello cherry, but also a bittersweet hint of liquorice and good acidity. There's a juicy, savoury quality here and a freshness about the finish thanks to the pert acids and well-balanced tannins. Really, a very nice drink that washed down some Chorizo and chilli pasta very nicely.
(2004) Joven means "juvenile" or young, and this precocious, bright, but deep cherry coloured wine as all about fruit and supple elegance. With only 5% of the wine seeing some barrel ageing, it is very fragrant and fruity on the nose, with loads of cherry jam and crisp, focused raspberry. There's also a little rose-hip, floral note here. On the palate there's a lovely melange of bittersweet cherry fruit, earthy, brackeny qualities and aniseed-tinged, firm tannins. Quite warm on the finish, with hints of tobacco and toast, but that savoury, clean fruit powers through. A simple, but really delicious and well-balanced wine that is amongst my favourites in this range.
(2004) This quite dark, crimson coloured but warm-edged wine spends a little time (six months) in American oak, which adds a spicy, toasty aspect to the nose. The fruit is clean and compact, suggesting cherry and raspberry with a dark, liquoricy edge. On the palate there's a sweetness of vanilla at first, but this is soon swamped by a wave of polished black fruit with a spine of acidity and almost grainy, powerful tannic edge. There's something quite cool and a touch rustic about the character of this wine, with plenty of spice and alcohol in the finish and a long, tantalising blackberry fruit quality.
(2004) >From 30-40-year-old vines, this wine, again 100% Tinto de Toro, spends three months in all new American oak barrels. It has a medium deep plum colour, and a lovely, generous nose, that is deeply set with spices and toast, and an autumnal berry fruit quality. There is something intensely sweet and cherry-cola like too. On the palate this is very much fruit-driven, with plenty of raspberry and ripe cherry flavours, all wrapped in a tobacco and liquoricy spice. There is plenty of warming, toasty oak and a powerful seem of fruit. Good length, with a lip-smacking framework of tannins and acids.
(2004) Dark, dense cherry colour. Nice, smooth plum and vanilla nose, with a glossy, tight damsony depth. Smooth on the palate too, with a creamy texture and a mouthfilling raft of fine, ripe tannins and dark, svelte fruit quality. Savoury, with good acids and some spicy, warming oak filling out the finish. Plenty of flesh and good length.
(1999) This interesting wine is from highly-regarded Rioja estate of Remelluri , but is made in Toro on the Portuguese border, not far from Ribera del Duero. A Tempranillo/Garnacha blend, this has plenty of bold, spicy fruit that is tempered by an earthy, dusty quality. The palate is quite firm, tannins are grippy, and the fruit is chewy and dense. Good balance too. This could reward a couple of years cellaring.
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