100% Tinta de Toro from over 100 ungrafted, non-irrigated parcels aged between 70 and 100 yo located in the villages of Valdefinjas, Toro and El Pego. The fully destemmed fruit is cold-soaked with the skins for more than a week followed by fermentation and maceration over a period of 28 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 19 months. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 350 cases.
Dense, slightly translucent and quite concentrated cherry-red color with a pale raspberry-red rim. The overall appearance is surprisingly youthful - noticeably more so than with any other Numanthia in this vertical of vintages from 2011 to 1998. The nose feels savory, complex and somewhat spicy with vibrant, moderately evolved aromas of wizened black cherries, some dusty earth, a little bit of old leather, light strawberry tones, a hint of savory spices, a touch of vanilla oak and a whiff of sweeter toasty oak. The wine feels dense, firm and quite concentrated on the palate with a moderately full body and intense, juicy flavors of ripe black cherries, some succulent plummy tones, a little bit of old leather, light stony mineral notes, a hint of meaty umami and a touch of developed dried-fruit character. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate and the combination of surprisingly high acidity and quite assertive, grippy tannins make the wine feel very muscular and structure-driven without making it come across as too tough or aggressive. The finish is juicy, dense and quite grippy with a long and rather concentrated aftertaste of ripe, sweet-toned dark fruits, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of juicy red plums, light cherry marmalade tones, a hint of leather and a touch of stony minerality.
A big and concentrated but also surprisingly balanced and harmonious vintage of Numanthia. I've understood 2002 wasn't a particularly memorable vintage in most parts of Spain, but at least in Toro this cooler vintage seems to have only benefited the wines. Normally Numanthia is just way too big, excessively ripe and simply just too clumsy a wine for my taste; however, this 2002 sports atypically high acidity for the wine - it is pretty obvious when tasting so many different vintages in succession - and even if the wine is starting to show some evolved qualities, the overall feel is surprisingly youthful for its age. This is undeniably a Numanthia - ie. a big, ripe and powerful Tempranillo - but an enjoyably balanced effort for one. The wine is drinking really well right now, but there is still some potential for the fruit to improve with further cellaring and the tannins could soften up a bit more with additional aging as well. Drink or keep for another 10-ish years.
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Interesting to read the previous note since I would have said almost the exact opposite. It's hard to tell this wine has 20 years. It's still big and bold and lots of fruit. A bit of heat to it. Different style to most of the wines of the night, but a wine that likes a good steak.
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Deep garnet, the nose is lifted and perfumed with dry leaves (cigarette rather than cigar), mocha notes, milk chocolate powder, icing sugar, macerated plums and light coffee grinds. Medium-bodied, the entry is smooth and supple, medium intense with sweetness and a lively acidity that works itself through the wine. The flavours are inviting with macerated red plum, cherry liquor chocolates, ripe banana peel, mineral, spice cake and black forest Gateaux topped with raspberries. The tannins are firm and build towards the finish, there is some depth, but this is a larger-than-life Toro that is ebullient and carries itself well without descending into being heavy. Long finish and is infused with chocolate and even a touch of liquorice.
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I think the wine is a bit tired. More dried fruit than fresh. And a touch of dustiness to it that I have found in the past with wines past their best. May have been my bottle, but my advice would be to drink up. Did a bit better with an hour or so of decanting.
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ok...so this changes a lot over the open life of the bottle. to me...demonstrates the quality of the winemaking and grape pedigree. towards the end of 4 hours of an open bottle...nose of currants, raisin, spice...seawater, currants, spice...long finish. love Jorge Ordonez influenced Spain...was a bit concerned about the new world slant...but this is 15 years old and wonderful. would/could go longer. Disclaimer: perfect storage since release.
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Remarkably dark and dense, still bold, fleshy, and complex. This bottle could have gone longer easily. I'm sure it will develop further (slowly), but not necessarily be better.
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Thursday night blinds at the new apartment with Tim (Duboce Triangle, SF): huitlacoche, rich espresso, sweet blackberry jam, fresh summer warm berries in the sun with dust. Beautiful. A bit of celery - stewed. Full-bodied, 14% (actually 14.5%) elevated acid elevated tannins - well-rounded. Like a dark-fruited Barolo with a bit more oak. long finish. 9 and 9.5
Custardy tannins. Dark Chocolate. Espresso bitterness.
19 months in French oak.
100% Tempranillo (Tinta de Toro).
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Much more fleshed out than the last time I had this a year ago. This is like the Spanish version of a Napa cult cab; and it works. Deep, impenetrably dark, the colour of a California Central Coast Syrah. Complex nose of blackberry and raspberry joined by brown spice notes and a notable whiff of vanilla. The mouth feel is soft and plush; at age 13 it is fully mature, tannins are integrated and there is just enough acidity to keep all that fruit from going over the top. The blackfruit flavours are very intense, more reminiscent of a younger wine. Full body with a long finish. This is surely a wine that will polarize opinions: we loved the outrageous body , mouthfeel and larger than life presence. Rajat Parr would HATE this wine for those same reasons. Vive la difference! www.advinetures.ca
Deep garnet. Nose was deep berries, bacon fat, fresh herbs such as oregano. (Yes I said bacon fat. Blinded I would guess Cote Rotie for this alone.) Taste was similar, no obvious heat, but for a short finish I would rate higher.
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Donkerpaars. In de geur zwart fruit, leder, aarde. Erg drogende tannines, te weinig fruit om dit te compenseren. De wijn is naar mijn mening aan het uitdrogen en op z'n retour, dus opdrinken als je nog hebt liggen.
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Tough at first - tannins took an hour and a half to die down. Lovely wine - drinking well. Probably at its plateau now - but will be good for several more years. Classic new Spanish wine.
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Showing the 02 vintage, this is lighter than the Numanthias that followed it. Still, a relatively big wine, with blackberry and raspberry backed up by tobacco, leather and plenty of tannin. A bit rough, but quite enjoyable.
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popped and poured, needed ten minutes to show us a powerfull fine wine, despite the fact of 14,5% alc. this is very elegant, no concentrated marmelade- style like a lot of modern wines, very mineralic, some smooth blackberries, good structure and well balanced, long+ aftertaste, can be kept for some more years, 89- 91+
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Still youthful looking, dark purple to the rim. Nose of blueberry and blackberry, nice sweet aromatics. The palate is very full, lots of primary blueberry, sweet fruit, soft tannins and some acidity. To me this lacks complexity, all primary fruit and not a lot else. Given the price, not one i'll be buying again. Overall I find it a bit flabby.
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Medium-bodied, tightly wound in the first couple sips but opened up quickly and stayed there. Dark ruby color. Nose of dark fruits. Cherries, vanilla, spice on the palate, moderate complexity. In contrast to other tasting notes, this had a 30-40 second finish. Hence the higher rating. Quite enjoyable; glad I have a couple more of these.
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Sad but true, this wine may be on the decline. The first bottle opened was a bit corky but managed to blow off......TCA @2PPM? The second showed much better and had a much brighter nose. The color was dark and mysterious. The nose was filled with dark red fruit flavor with some spice and woodsy notes. The taste was a bit disappointing with a very short finish. Drink them up. EG #WineArchitect #Numanthia
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Drank from magnum. Nose of dark fruits, some sandalwood and spice. Very dark color. Black fruits, still pronounced tannins and fairly spicy. The wine is pleasant enough but somewhat thin in the mid palate. Still fairly tannic and has some years left on it, and then some. Not much length on the finish. After the deep dark color, fragrant nose and strong attack, the wine ultimately left me wanting something more. Enjoyable enough but not at all meeting expectations
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I have tasted this wine a number if times and each time I find it difficult to enjoy. Ruby colour on the eye, nose is initially closed but opens up to give herbs and vegetal notes which soon fade again. To taste it's black fruits all the way with pronounced tannins. Disappointing given its reputation and price.
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Dark and inviting in appearance, but cannot match that level of expectation in the glass. Some nice fruit, less complex than I'd expect, but no oomph on the palate, and a weak finish. Unless I find more intensity in my other bottles, I can only conclude that this past its prime.
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After decanting for 1 hour, medium to full red color which was lighter than I usually expect from a Toro tinto. The nose had lots of sandalwood and spicy herbs with a hint of cherry. Entry was pleasant and balanced with soft tannins. The body however was leaner than I expected with some notes of cherry and licorice ending in a light to medium dry finish. Overall a decent effort from this great terroir but I must say that I expected a little more. Not sure it needs any more aging either.
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A dark, nearly glass-staining crimson, this 10-year old Spanish red was decanted 4 hours prior to pairing with Peppercorn extra lean pork tenderloin on the occasion of my 51st birthday. A rather low-key affair, but this Numanthia is certainly picking up the pace on this evening! The nose is of high-potency candied cherries, sandalwood and thyme; quite reminiscent of Nebbiolo. Long legs on the glass, the palate is in line with the nose, except for a lengthy, red licorice-tinged finish. Excellent concentration and intensity. Absolutely wonderful on this night, with lots of life left. WOW!
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Deep dark red with little variation even at the meniscus. Long, thick legs. Huge nose of red fruit carried by substantial heat. Smooth feel, palate brings ripe fruit and finishes with a large dose of oaky tannin. Drank the bottle with ribeyes and was better with the beef than without.
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It is my first Numanthia, so expectations were high. I guess Jay Millers palate is not mine. I got the the wine out of a 12 degree Celsius Cellar and even at this temperature the bouquet was a little hot with plums and some coffee, tobacco and umami. On the palate it is pretty thick and quite long but still a little portlike alcoholic. It is a big wine missing finesse and minerality. We will have entrecote with it, this should work nicely.
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The only bad news was that this was supposed to have been an '03. Bought over the internet years ago, and didn't check closely enough when I picked it up at the store. That said, it drank very, very nicely with espresso glazed ham and sweet potatoes.
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Tar, licorice, smoke, strawberry and a bit of Burgundian funk on the nose. Cranberry, casis on the attack, almond paste appearing mid-palate and trailing off into a nutty, acid enhanced finish. Tannins are slightly tacky, but otherwise beautiful.
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A hint of pepper and very earthy, there is some very subdued fruit. Opened up after about 2 hrs but still seems a little tight. I still have 3 more bottles so it will be interesting to see how it progresses.
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Decanted for about 45 minutes before drinking with grilled pork tenderloin. Aroma of leather and some smokiness. Not a really fruit forward wine, which is to be expected with its age, but the fruit that is there seems like plum and blackberry. The finish here is a bit too hot...not sure this is going to wear off or not (still showing that after 2+ hours in decanter). Second time having this in about a year, and just don't think this one is a winner worth going back for more on.
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Blackberry, licorice, spice, pepper and earth, medium bodied, drinking beautifully. Paired once again with Indian cuisine, worked perfectly, and we saved a glass for the next night - even better!
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Drank at Cree and Sara's home. Good dark eggplant color. The only thing I got was tannin. Was shared by 6 people so not time to go slow. Nothting on the nose or palate. At the time I assumed the fruit had gone bye bye. It is possible that this wine was just closed tighter than a drum. Now I guess I will never know. It was my only bottle. Score generous based on benefit of the doubt that it was closed and not over the hill.
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Big wine. Needed to breathe for a few hours. Pepper on the nose with ripe black fruit. Chocolate taste with white pepper ending with a liquorice aftertaste. Still good the next day. Will keep for another few years but may not improve.
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This wine still needs age. I decanted for one hour before tasting. Still a bit closed, but coming around. After one and one half hours the wine just began to release some complex aromas of dark red fruit and and and........? Ok, two hours of decantation and I am still trying to find the fruit the rest of you say exists. What are you all smoking? No way! Who wants the rest of mine? EG WineArchitect
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This is good stuff. Consistent with previous notes. This has a bit more noticeable pepper on the finish. Popped and poured. Kind of a savory wine. It doesn't really have sweet fruit, but it does have a lot going on.
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From magnum. Yon dont know if you are eating or drinking this wine. With its 14,5% alcohol, shows a dense black colour, discrect nose of olives, ink and cigar box, palate is somehow uninspiring and irrelevant. Extraction here is over my limit.
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Austrian and Spanish Wines on the Fino patio (Fino Restaurant, Austin, Texas): This was disappointing, with more detractors than fans. Some thought it might still be in a dumb phase, but others thought it very New World in style so that it might have been tired. Had aggressive tannins, bright acidity, notes of musty leaves and dried mushrooms, pronounced banana and black currant, dried earth and brine, sour cherry, minerals. Not that bad a drink, but should have been better, with its 19 months in new French oak.
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A notch down from the 2000, but also it seemed significantly younger. Lots of fruit, but a bit of a hard edge and too much bite. It might improve with a few more years.
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Deep maroon - extracted, oaky nose, a hint of hot fruit - palate has red and black berry fruit, nice on entry then quickly overwhelmed by extract - a "squeezed" wine, finishes tough and minerally, not our style. Probably would've been better earlier with primary fruit at the fore.
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Early Nov 2010: decanted; deep purple black color; weak nose of cherry, blackberry, cassis and vanilla; restrained impressions on the palate too; medium/full body.
This 2002 Numanthia behaved like a sports car with brakes on. So this evening he lost the direct competition to a Quinta Quietud 2004, another Toro red wine (see tasting note).
Don’t get me wrong: this is a very good wine, but from a Numanthia I expect an excellent rating.
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Deep purple-red. N: raspberry and strong notes of cola, toasted oak, and herbs release into the glass with air. P: lush tart cherries and blackberries chased by black tea, minerality, and a lingering milk chocolate note that persists for the better part of a minute. Well integrated tannins provide great structure and this transitions seamlessly across the palate. This is drinking wonderfully now.
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Exquisite wine! Beautifully rich and textured with an amazing mid palate flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, anise, leather and earth. velvety smooth tannins with just the right amount of tannin grip. finish lasted over a minute. This wine commands attention and I was happy to give it.
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Deep garnet with a purple rim. Nose was a Spanish wine made by an Australian. Honest, close my eyes and blind me and I would say Oz. Deep berry and toast. Taste was similar with alcohol heat on the end. I like Oz so this didn't bother, but I could see where an Old Worlder would be bothered.
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I love the minerality that this wine exhibits. Much more noticeable in this vintage than other Numanthia vintages I have had. All the oak is integrated in this bad boy. Very nice.
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Beautiful smell of black cherries and light licorice. Opened and waited 2 hours before tasting...tart and a bit tannic but is getting easier to drink in 3rd hour. Seems like it needs more time either in bottle or decanter to soften up a bit for me to really enjoy it. Has the potential to be mid-90's rating but will wait for more time to decide.
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Deep ruby color. This one is still singing, has more time ahead of it. Somewhat rough tannins, a big wine on the palate. Loads of dark fruit, licorice, graphite and spice notes.
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Thanks to Victor de la Serna for his rec on this wine. This wine is delicious. Intense berry fruit with notes of soy sauce, caramel and tea. There is an angular, minerally, spicy aspect and a long finish. This is good stuff indeed. This wine will hold for a number of years, but very tasty right now.
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Opened and served immediately at a tapas bar. Followed over about 2-3 hours. This wine was shy and didn't show much on the nose and palate when first opened but after about an hour in the glass it really took off and became quite pleasurable. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of caramel, roasted coffee and a mix of dark fruits that carries through to the palate. Medium acidity and tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now with a short decant or continue to hold over the medium term.
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Oak? What oak? No splinters from this wine. The oak is all integrated at this point. Chocolate, coffee, red fruit and pepper spice. Very nice balance throughout the palate. Tanins no longer fierce. Flavors well integrated together. Decanted at 5:00, poured back into the bottle at 6:00. Brought to the restaurant and drunk at about 8:00 pm. I opened this to see if I should by the current vintage. The answer is YES.
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This started impressively, with a sexy smokey nose and sweet blueberry fruit on the palate. It seems to have developed some mid-palate weight since the last time I tried, about a year ago. But there was no development in the glass, and the flavours came to seem a bit washed out, so I ended up downgrading my tentative 90 rating to 88.
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Great wine, too bad I have none left! From the minute the cork is popped, very expressive, aromatic nose; medium bodied with dark ruby color; smooth, silky mouthfeel, concentrated and stimulating; has a very respectable finish lasting several seconds; WOTN.
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Deep purple. A cascade of sweet cherries and plums hits your nose once the wine opens up. This full bodied monster has sweet tannins and a long finsih. An outstanding showing from a poor vintage.
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Splash decanted 30 mins before serving. Wonderful nose of crushed berries, licorice and toasty oak. Medium bodied on the palate with ripe raspberries and dark cherries along with some herbal/earthy nuances. Drinking great now but still has the structure to keep in the cellar. This was very similar to the 02 Termanthia I had recently with the Termanthia just having more intensity of both fruit and tannin.
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This was a pop and pour but consumed over several hours. Deep dark purple color in the glass, with aromas of vanilla, raspberry, spice and tar. This is a BIG wine, one that screams "new world". Lots of jammy fruit, with earthiness, currants, tobacco and some vanilla/oak for sure. Mouthcoating and bold, still has firm tannins and a lot of acidity. Well made, and especially considering the challenging vintage, quite enjoyable.
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Once again, delicious dark, sweet cherry and berry, with tobacco and earth flavors, smooth texture, nice finish and a touch of glycerin. Drinking beautifully. Paired with grilled chicken breast in red mole sauce at Mixteco Grill, excellent match.
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Saturday at the Grillmaster's; 8/9/2008-8/11/2008 (Queens): Ha - i tought i never had this but it turns out i had the same bottle at the same place... but 2 years ago! (wildly - same score!) Modern wine - started out with jammy ripe fruit but with time evolved - showing more spice and iron, with the jamminess gone. balanced serious middle, chocolate and cherry middle, still strong tannins. this wine needs more time but it came on to be quite impressive - and the initial heat was dissapearing as well.
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Saturday Lunch at Fernando's: Deep ruby color. This is just singing right now. Expressive nose with lots of sweet spices, pencil lead and sandy notes; tobacco and licorice in the background. With a couple of hours of air it became much more focused on a precise black cherry note. Full bodied on the palate with a strong acid spine and smooth tannin, bright black cherry and cocoa. Delicious.
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Showy wine, inky color, with delicious dark berry, tar and earth flavors. Long finish, well structured and full bodied. We paired it with well flavored Indian cuisine, lamb shank vindaloo, and it worked perfectly.
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Numanthia at the Masters (Ken's): Shy nose but very accessible and showy on the palate. Rich, round and fleshy with delineated layers of flavors. Soft, sweet tannins provide interest and grip across the midpalate into a creamy flavorful finish.
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Masters and Numanthias (Northbrook, IL): This has a more earthy, savoury character to it than the other Numanthias tasted. Lots of dark chocolate, red and dark fruits, earth, vanilla and some toast on the nose and palate with a lush mouthfeel and smooth tannins. Rich medium-long finish.
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Brooding, inky-dark, youthful appearance. A little swirling in the glass revealed some fine sweet scented aromas of blueberry and violets. Not giving much up in the mouth; austere and very dry with just a hint of bitterness. Judgement reserved for now.
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Tasted November 10, 2007 at an offline. Quick notes: a tannic beast but very focused flavors of licorice and minerals. Decent balance. Needs more time to integrate and should improve.
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Tasted November 10, 2007 at an offline. Nose of tar and melted black licorice. Flavors of black berries. Medium to high acidity, firm tannins, full body. Drink with decant or hold.
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Sunday Brunch at Fernando's (Queens, NY): Deep ruby color. Very modern nose of raspberries, blackberries, vanilla and spice. The palate comes across a bit dryer than the nose would let on, but there's still plenty of tannic grip here. Very nice wine, but may need a couple more years to show at its best.
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Light Sunday Brunch at Fernado's :) (Queens): Modern nose, modern wine...but i really liked this one. sweet raspberries, vanilla, no heat, blackberry, good rich tannic structure, a core of sweet fruit, but not cloying, mouthcoating tannins, would be interesting to try in a few, long finish. (91++)
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Drank double blind with my tasting group. Inky purplish black. Intense nose of vanilla, blackberries and wet loamy earth. Very full bodied with chewy tannins and livelier acidity than you'd expect from a Toro (even though it is overall low). The finish is slightly hot. This will be an even greater wine with 5 more years. I guessed this was a 2001 Pintia...and missed!
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deep purple color with some vanilla, tobacco and wet earth nosings. The mouth is round and full of highly extracted cherry flavors wrapped in oak, spicey and smokey notes, with smooth tannins and some acidity. As with the 2000, the oak will mellow in a 2-3 years, and drink well for 5-7 after that. Excellent and delicious.
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Drank at Seastar in Bellevue. Decanted for about 30 mins. This was an awesome wine over the course of the two hours it took to drink it. Deep colour, lots of ripe blackberry, currant fruit. Would have probably picked this for a Shiraz in a blind tasting. Palate is a bit more earthy though, with a deep, ripe blackberry fruit core and silky cherry tannins on the finish. This was excellent - but needed to be a bit more characterful to be great.
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($60) Rhone & Spain Dinner: Blind 4 - Sweet oak nose with intense dark fruit on the nose. Black currant fruit and more sweet oak on the palate with the wine seeming more acidic and tannic late in the palate. Tastes serious. Coconut nose. Pretty nice - not the 2001, but pretty nice anyway. Bad QPR though.
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($60) 100% Tinta de Toro. Overall I was disappointed with this wine, particularly vis-à-vis its price and quality relative to the 2001 vintage. Initially closed and a little too woody with an overly tangy palate. Broadened and became a little more chocolatey with air time, but it never justified its price.
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Interesting nose of dried cranberries, leather, a bit of barnyard but then sweet dark fruits. Kind of a swirling boquet if you will. The palate follwed the nose pretty closely. Nice, balanced fruit, but came of a bit light at first but with time put on weight and depth. The finish gets cut short by substantial, drying tannins. I think this wine needs a few years to soften up. For the money it represents a great value in Spanish wines. solid 91+ pointer.
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2/27/2023 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points
100% Tinta de Toro from over 100 ungrafted, non-irrigated parcels aged between 70 and 100 yo located in the villages of Valdefinjas, Toro and El Pego. The fully destemmed fruit is cold-soaked with the skins for more than a week followed by fermentation and maceration over a period of 28 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 19 months. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 350 cases.
Dense, slightly translucent and quite concentrated cherry-red color with a pale raspberry-red rim. The overall appearance is surprisingly youthful - noticeably more so than with any other Numanthia in this vertical of vintages from 2011 to 1998. The nose feels savory, complex and somewhat spicy with vibrant, moderately evolved aromas of wizened black cherries, some dusty earth, a little bit of old leather, light strawberry tones, a hint of savory spices, a touch of vanilla oak and a whiff of sweeter toasty oak. The wine feels dense, firm and quite concentrated on the palate with a moderately full body and intense, juicy flavors of ripe black cherries, some succulent plummy tones, a little bit of old leather, light stony mineral notes, a hint of meaty umami and a touch of developed dried-fruit character. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate and the combination of surprisingly high acidity and quite assertive, grippy tannins make the wine feel very muscular and structure-driven without making it come across as too tough or aggressive. The finish is juicy, dense and quite grippy with a long and rather concentrated aftertaste of ripe, sweet-toned dark fruits, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of juicy red plums, light cherry marmalade tones, a hint of leather and a touch of stony minerality.
A big and concentrated but also surprisingly balanced and harmonious vintage of Numanthia. I've understood 2002 wasn't a particularly memorable vintage in most parts of Spain, but at least in Toro this cooler vintage seems to have only benefited the wines. Normally Numanthia is just way too big, excessively ripe and simply just too clumsy a wine for my taste; however, this 2002 sports atypically high acidity for the wine - it is pretty obvious when tasting so many different vintages in succession - and even if the wine is starting to show some evolved qualities, the overall feel is surprisingly youthful for its age. This is undeniably a Numanthia - ie. a big, ripe and powerful Tempranillo - but an enjoyably balanced effort for one. The wine is drinking really well right now, but there is still some potential for the fruit to improve with further cellaring and the tannins could soften up a bit more with additional aging as well. Drink or keep for another 10-ish years.
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9/5/2022 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Interesting to read the previous note since I would have said almost the exact opposite. It's hard to tell this wine has 20 years. It's still big and bold and lots of fruit. A bit of heat to it. Different style to most of the wines of the night, but a wine that likes a good steak.
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6/20/2022 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet, the nose is lifted and perfumed with dry leaves (cigarette rather than cigar), mocha notes, milk chocolate powder, icing sugar, macerated plums and light coffee grinds.
Medium-bodied, the entry is smooth and supple, medium intense with sweetness and a lively acidity that works itself through the wine. The flavours are inviting with macerated red plum, cherry liquor chocolates, ripe banana peel, mineral, spice cake and black forest Gateaux topped with raspberries. The tannins are firm and build towards the finish, there is some depth, but this is a larger-than-life Toro that is ebullient and carries itself well without descending into being heavy. Long finish and is infused with chocolate and even a touch of liquorice.
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3/7/2021 - gediminasbielskus Likes this wine: 85 Points
I think the wine is a bit tired. More dried fruit than fresh. And a touch of dustiness to it that I have found in the past with wines past their best. May have been my bottle, but my advice would be to drink up. Did a bit better with an hour or so of decanting.
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8/12/2020 - kanowsky wrote: 93 Points
Still vibrant, delicious.
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2/19/2019 - spv Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still going strong!
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5/1/2018 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 92 Points
Absolutely outstanding and worth the 12 year wait. Roasted meat and spice with acidity and a fruit backbone. Drink this with grilled red meat!
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9/24/2017 - DesMarteau wrote: 94 Points
ok...so this changes a lot over the open life of the bottle. to me...demonstrates the quality of the winemaking and grape pedigree. towards the end of 4 hours of an open bottle...nose of currants, raisin, spice...seawater, currants, spice...long finish. love Jorge Ordonez influenced Spain...was a bit concerned about the new world slant...but this is 15 years old and wonderful. would/could go longer. Disclaimer: perfect storage since release.
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11/19/2016 - MindMuse wrote: 92 Points
Remarkably dark and dense, still bold, fleshy, and complex. This bottle could have gone longer easily. I'm sure it will develop further (slowly), but not necessarily be better.
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9/10/2016 - WineArchitect Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Most definitely past its prime! Complex aromatics. Lacks fruit, mouth and finish. Glad it's the last bottle! EG #WineArchitect
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11/12/2015 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 92 Points
Thursday night blinds at the new apartment with Tim (Duboce Triangle, SF): huitlacoche, rich espresso, sweet blackberry jam, fresh summer warm berries in the sun with dust. Beautiful. A bit of celery - stewed.
Full-bodied, 14% (actually 14.5%)
elevated acid
elevated tannins - well-rounded. Like a dark-fruited Barolo with a bit more oak.
long finish.
9 and 9.5
Custardy tannins.
Dark Chocolate. Espresso bitterness.
19 months in French oak.
100% Tempranillo (Tinta de Toro).
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6/12/2015 - Stirling wrote: 93 Points
Much more fleshed out than the last time I had this a year ago. This is like the Spanish version of a Napa cult cab; and it works. Deep, impenetrably dark, the colour of a California Central Coast Syrah. Complex nose of blackberry and raspberry joined by brown spice notes and a notable whiff of vanilla. The mouth feel is soft and plush; at age 13 it is fully mature, tannins are integrated and there is just enough acidity to keep all that fruit from going over the top. The blackfruit flavours are very intense, more reminiscent of a younger wine. Full body with a long finish. This is surely a wine that will polarize opinions: we loved the outrageous body , mouthfeel and larger than life presence. Rajat Parr would HATE this wine for those same reasons. Vive la difference! www.advinetures.ca
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10/1/2014 - Harry Cantrell Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet. Nose was deep berries, bacon fat, fresh herbs such as oregano. (Yes I said bacon fat. Blinded I would guess Cote Rotie for this alone.) Taste was similar, no obvious heat, but for a short finish I would rate higher.
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8/24/2014 - Strikermax wrote: 84 Points
Donkerpaars. In de geur zwart fruit, leder, aarde. Erg drogende tannines, te weinig fruit om dit te compenseren. De wijn is naar mijn mening aan het uitdrogen en op z'n retour, dus opdrinken als je nog hebt liggen.
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3/19/2014 - rm97 wrote: 91 Points
Tough at first - tannins took an hour and a half to die down. Lovely wine - drinking well. Probably at its plateau now - but will be good for several more years. Classic new Spanish wine.
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1/4/2014 - Stirling wrote: 90 Points
Showing the 02 vintage, this is lighter than the Numanthias that followed it. Still, a relatively big wine, with blackberry and raspberry backed up by tobacco, leather and plenty of tannin. A bit rough, but quite enjoyable.
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12/20/2013 - fc1910 wrote: 91 Points
popped and poured, needed ten minutes to show us a powerfull fine wine, despite the fact of 14,5% alc. this is very elegant, no concentrated marmelade- style like a lot of modern wines, very mineralic, some smooth blackberries, good structure and well balanced, long+ aftertaste, can be kept for some more years, 89- 91+
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12/10/2013 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Very nice blackberry, tar and earth flavors, smooth texture and nicely balanced. Drinking well.
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11/29/2013 - skp88 wrote: 87 Points
flabby and without structure, presumably because it's past its prime
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10/22/2013 - laetulos wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was still in very good shape, it has the depth and earthiness that I love in a Spanish wine. Too bad it is my last bottle.
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10/20/2013 - bacchus of knockholt Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Still youthful looking, dark purple to the rim. Nose of blueberry and blackberry, nice sweet aromatics. The palate is very full, lots of primary blueberry, sweet fruit, soft tannins and some acidity. To me this lacks complexity, all primary fruit and not a lot else. Given the price, not one i'll be buying again. Overall I find it a bit flabby.
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9/27/2013 - spv Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium-bodied, tightly wound in the first couple sips but opened up quickly and stayed there. Dark ruby color. Nose of dark fruits. Cherries, vanilla, spice on the palate, moderate complexity. In contrast to other tasting notes, this had a 30-40 second finish. Hence the higher rating. Quite enjoyable; glad I have a couple more of these.
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7/3/2013 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 89 Points
Sad but true, this wine may be on the decline. The first bottle opened was a bit corky but managed to blow off......TCA @2PPM? The second showed much better and had a much brighter nose. The color was dark and mysterious. The nose was filled with dark red fruit flavor with some spice and woodsy notes. The taste was a bit disappointing with a very short finish. Drink them up. EG #WineArchitect #Numanthia
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4/13/2013 - cephomer wrote: 90 Points
Drank from magnum. Nose of dark fruits, some sandalwood and spice. Very dark color. Black fruits, still pronounced tannins and fairly spicy. The wine is pleasant enough but somewhat thin in the mid palate. Still fairly tannic and has some years left on it, and then some. Not much length on the finish. After the deep dark color, fragrant nose and strong attack, the wine ultimately left me wanting something more. Enjoyable enough but not at all meeting expectations
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3/19/2013 - bacchus of knockholt Does not like this wine: 80 Points
I have tasted this wine a number if times and each time I find it difficult to enjoy. Ruby colour on the eye, nose is initially closed but opens up to give herbs and vegetal notes which soon fade again. To taste it's black fruits all the way with pronounced tannins. Disappointing given its reputation and price.
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12/30/2012 - JonnyG wrote: 89 Points
Dark and inviting in appearance, but cannot match that level of expectation in the glass. Some nice fruit, less complex than I'd expect, but no oomph on the palate, and a weak finish. Unless I find more intensity in my other bottles, I can only conclude that this past its prime.
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12/18/2012 - farinas wrote: 90 Points
After decanting for 1 hour, medium to full red color which was lighter than I usually expect from a Toro tinto. The nose had lots of sandalwood and spicy herbs with a hint of cherry. Entry was pleasant and balanced with soft tannins. The body however was leaner than I expected with some notes of cherry and licorice ending in a light to medium dry finish. Overall a decent effort from this great terroir but I must say that I expected a little more. Not sure it needs any more aging either.
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12/8/2012 - wicozani Likes this wine: 93 Points
A dark, nearly glass-staining crimson, this 10-year old Spanish red was decanted 4 hours prior to pairing with Peppercorn extra lean pork tenderloin on the occasion of my 51st birthday. A rather low-key affair, but this Numanthia is certainly picking up the pace on this evening! The nose is of high-potency candied cherries, sandalwood and thyme; quite reminiscent of Nebbiolo. Long legs on the glass, the palate is in line with the nose, except for a lengthy, red licorice-tinged finish. Excellent concentration and intensity. Absolutely wonderful on this night, with lots of life left. WOW!
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8/31/2012 - diggydan wrote: 86 Points
Deep dark red with little variation even at the meniscus. Long, thick legs. Huge nose of red fruit carried by substantial heat. Smooth feel, palate brings ripe fruit and finishes with a large dose of oaky tannin. Drank the bottle with ribeyes and was better with the beef than without.
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8/19/2012 - Ricky99 wrote: 90 Points
really tight and didnt open much... perhaps we should have decanted
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3/10/2012 - benny wrote: 93 Points
An outstanding wine now. One hour decant and 69dg.
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2/26/2012 - Klugi Wine wrote: 89 Points
It is my first Numanthia, so expectations were high. I guess Jay Millers palate is not mine. I got the the wine out of a 12 degree Celsius Cellar and even at this temperature the bouquet was a little hot with plums and some coffee, tobacco and umami. On the palate it is pretty thick and quite long but still a little portlike alcoholic. It is a big wine missing finesse and minerality. We will have entrecote with it, this should work nicely.
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2/24/2012 - winemaker wrote: 92 Points
Rockin' tonight. Smoky, deep and fun.
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2/20/2012 - 2Travel wrote: 92 Points
The only bad news was that this was supposed to have been an '03. Bought over the internet years ago, and didn't check closely enough when I picked it up at the store. That said, it drank very, very nicely with espresso glazed ham and sweet potatoes.
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2/12/2012 - benny wrote: 92 Points
Opened for 3 hours. Dark and concentrated. Spicy oak/spice box. Dense with sweet tannins. Still going strong.
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2/11/2012 - Bumbanian wrote: 92 Points
Tar, licorice, smoke, strawberry and a bit of Burgundian funk on the nose. Cranberry, casis on the attack, almond paste appearing mid-palate and trailing off into a nutty, acid enhanced finish. Tannins are slightly tacky, but otherwise beautiful.
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12/11/2011 - scm wrote: 89 Points
A hint of pepper and very earthy, there is some very subdued fruit. Opened up after about 2 hrs but still seems a little tight. I still have 3 more bottles so it will be interesting to see how it progresses.
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11/19/2011 - MindMuse wrote:
Blackberry, smoky meat, black pepper, earth. This was pretty closed all of day one, more forward next night.
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10/8/2011 - Wine Sparty wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for about 45 minutes before drinking with grilled pork tenderloin. Aroma of leather and some smokiness. Not a really fruit forward wine, which is to be expected with its age, but the fruit that is there seems like plum and blackberry. The finish here is a bit too hot...not sure this is going to wear off or not (still showing that after 2+ hours in decanter). Second time having this in about a year, and just don't think this one is a winner worth going back for more on.
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7/25/2011 - benny wrote: 93 Points
Very good now. Dark and sweet. Mellow. Green fig on the nose. Spicey and dense on the finish. Outstanding.
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7/3/2011 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Blackberry, licorice, spice, pepper and earth, medium bodied, drinking beautifully. Paired once again with Indian cuisine, worked perfectly, and we saved a glass for the next night - even better!
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7/3/2011 - vintage61 wrote: 89 Points
Drank at Cree and Sara's home. Good dark eggplant color. The only thing I got was tannin. Was shared by 6 people so not time to go slow. Nothting on the nose or palate. At the time I assumed the fruit had gone bye bye. It is possible that this wine was just closed tighter than a drum. Now I guess I will never know. It was my only bottle. Score generous based on benefit of the doubt that it was closed and not over the hill.
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1/28/2011 - Decster wrote: 90 Points
Big wine. Needed to breathe for a few hours. Pepper on the nose with ripe black fruit. Chocolate taste with white pepper ending with a liquorice aftertaste. Still good the next day. Will keep for another few years but may not improve.
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1/19/2011 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 88 Points
This wine still needs age. I decanted for one hour before tasting. Still a bit closed, but coming around. After one and one half hours the wine just began to release some complex aromas of dark red fruit and and and........? Ok, two hours of decantation and I am still trying to find the fruit the rest of you say exists. What are you all smoking? No way! Who wants the rest of mine? EG WineArchitect
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1/18/2011 - Bumbanian wrote:
Another really nice bottle of this. A wine that shines when you take the time to let it breathe for a couple of hours and then focus on it and enjoy.
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1/8/2011 - winemaker wrote: 92 Points
This is good stuff. Consistent with previous notes. This has a bit more noticeable pepper on the finish. Popped and poured. Kind of a savory wine. It doesn't really have sweet fruit, but it does have a lot going on.
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12/25/2010 - azahoner wrote: 86 Points
From magnum. Yon dont know if you are eating or drinking this wine. With its 14,5% alcohol, shows a dense black colour, discrect nose of olives, ink and cigar box, palate is somehow uninspiring and irrelevant. Extraction here is over my limit.
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12/19/2010 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully, well balanced, structured dark cherry, berry, smoke flavors.
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12/19/2010 - t4drman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Expecting something brash and harsh, this wine came up relatively smooth with some nice fruit thrown in. A comely surprise.
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12/6/2010 - Bumbanian wrote:
Again very nice, consistent with the last bottle. Needed an hour to open.
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11/19/2010 - G_H wrote: 91 Points
Ottis' 50th Birthday: Thanks a lot Otti for sharing so many great wines with us!
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11/14/2010 - austinwinesalon wrote:
Austrian and Spanish Wines on the Fino patio (Fino Restaurant, Austin, Texas): This was disappointing, with more detractors than fans. Some thought it might still be in a dumb phase, but others thought it very New World in style so that it might have been tired. Had aggressive tannins, bright acidity, notes of musty leaves and dried mushrooms, pronounced banana and black currant, dried earth and brine, sour cherry, minerals. Not that bad a drink, but should have been better, with its 19 months in new French oak.
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11/8/2010 - grossie wrote: 89 Points
A notch down from the 2000, but also it seemed significantly younger. Lots of fruit, but a bit of a hard edge and too much bite. It might improve with a few more years.
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11/7/2010 - winot wrote: 87 Points
Deep maroon - extracted, oaky nose, a hint of hot fruit - palate has red and black berry fruit, nice on entry then quickly overwhelmed by extract - a "squeezed" wine, finishes tough and minerally, not our style. Probably would've been better earlier with primary fruit at the fore.
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11/6/2010 - Fatty Cat wrote: 89 Points
Early Nov 2010: decanted; deep purple black color; weak nose of cherry, blackberry, cassis and vanilla; restrained impressions on the palate too; medium/full body.
This 2002 Numanthia behaved like a sports car with brakes on. So this evening he lost the direct competition to a Quinta Quietud 2004, another Toro red wine (see tasting note).
Don’t get me wrong: this is a very good wine, but from a Numanthia I expect an excellent rating.
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11/6/2010 - Bumbanian wrote: 93 Points
Deep purple-red. N: raspberry and strong notes of cola, toasted oak, and herbs release into the glass with air. P: lush tart cherries and blackberries chased by black tea, minerality, and a lingering milk chocolate note that persists for the better part of a minute. Well integrated tannins provide great structure and this transitions seamlessly across the palate. This is drinking wonderfully now.
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10/14/2010 - Wine Sparty wrote: 87 Points
Cola aroma, as well as some leather. Some dark berry taste that is a bit thinned out, yet still a bit tannic too.
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9/17/2010 - johnnyo wrote: 94 Points
Exquisite wine! Beautifully rich and textured with an amazing mid palate flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, anise, leather and earth. velvety smooth tannins with just the right amount of tannin grip. finish lasted over a minute. This wine commands attention and I was happy to give it.
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9/17/2010 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 88 Points
Deep garnet with a purple rim. Nose was a Spanish wine made by an Australian. Honest, close my eyes and blind me and I would say Oz. Deep berry and toast. Taste was similar with alcohol heat on the end. I like Oz so this didn't bother, but I could see where an Old Worlder would be bothered.
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8/8/2010 - winemaker wrote: 92 Points
I love the minerality that this wine exhibits. Much more noticeable in this vintage than other Numanthia vintages I have had. All the oak is integrated in this bad boy. Very nice.
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8/5/2010 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Rich vanilla milkshake, very forward fruit with solid acidity. Tasty but lacks complexity.
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6/7/2010 - HRT wrote:
Deep purple. Sweet fruits on the nose. Sweet tannins.
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6/4/2010 - SJC wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful smell of black cherries and light licorice. Opened and waited 2 hours before tasting...tart and a bit tannic but is getting easier to drink in 3rd hour. Seems like it needs more time either in bottle or decanter to soften up a bit for me to really enjoy it. Has the potential to be mid-90's rating but will wait for more time to decide.
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3/22/2010 - dougsmith wrote: 92 Points
Deep ruby color. This one is still singing, has more time ahead of it. Somewhat rough tannins, a big wine on the palate. Loads of dark fruit, licorice, graphite and spice notes.
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1/25/2010 - Ricky99 wrote: 91 Points
Very tasty.. Dark and dense at first... softened nicely into a very full and round glass of spanish wine. Drank at Cootes.
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1/24/2010 - winemaker wrote: 94 Points
Thanks to Victor de la Serna for his rec on this wine. This wine is delicious. Intense berry fruit with notes of soy sauce, caramel and tea. There is an angular, minerally, spicy aspect and a long finish. This is good stuff indeed. This wine will hold for a number of years, but very tasty right now.
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1/15/2010 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted January 15, 2010.
Opened and served immediately at a tapas bar. Followed over about 2-3 hours. This wine was shy and didn't show much on the nose and palate when first opened but after about an hour in the glass it really took off and became quite pleasurable. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of caramel, roasted coffee and a mix of dark fruits that carries through to the palate. Medium acidity and tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now with a short decant or continue to hold over the medium term.
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10/26/2009 - yotaiwan wrote: 95 Points
great smoothness and depth, ripe for drinking right now.
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10/11/2009 - moben wrote: 95 Points
Huge bouquet. Very balanced and powerful still with tobacco, smoked dark berries and long, finish.
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7/17/2009 - moben wrote: 92 Points
Tasted with spices tri-tip. Tobacco, blackberry, and smoke. Decent finish. Ready to drink but could age.
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6/7/2009 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 92 Points
Oak? What oak? No splinters from this wine. The oak is all integrated at this point. Chocolate, coffee, red fruit and pepper spice. Very nice balance throughout the palate. Tanins no longer fierce. Flavors well integrated together. Decanted at 5:00, poured back into the bottle at 6:00. Brought to the restaurant and drunk at about 8:00 pm. I opened this to see if I should by the current vintage. The answer is YES.
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5/16/2009 - rnellans wrote: 89 Points
Big wine but lacks fruit and complexity...pretty straight forward.
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4/18/2009 - prufrocksabogado wrote: 88 Points
past its prime.
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4/11/2009 - wineamateur wrote: 88 Points
This started impressively, with a sexy smokey nose and sweet blueberry fruit on the palate. It seems to have developed some mid-palate weight since the last time I tried, about a year ago. But there was no development in the glass, and the flavours came to seem a bit washed out, so I ended up downgrading my tentative 90 rating to 88.
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4/6/2009 - royalscam wrote: 92 Points
Great wine, too bad I have none left! From the minute the cork is popped, very expressive, aromatic nose; medium bodied with dark ruby color; smooth, silky mouthfeel, concentrated and stimulating; has a very respectable finish lasting several seconds; WOTN.
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2/27/2009 - HRT wrote:
Deep purple. A cascade of sweet cherries and plums hits your nose once the wine opens up. This full bodied monster has sweet tannins and a long finsih. An outstanding showing from a poor vintage.
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1/16/2009 - keelegl wrote: 92 Points
Splash decanted 30 mins before serving. Wonderful nose of crushed berries, licorice and toasty oak. Medium bodied on the palate with ripe raspberries and dark cherries along with some herbal/earthy nuances. Drinking great now but still has the structure to keep in the cellar. This was very similar to the 02 Termanthia I had recently with the Termanthia just having more intensity of both fruit and tannin.
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9/16/2008 - shapida wrote:
This was a pop and pour but consumed over several hours. Deep dark purple color in the glass, with aromas of vanilla, raspberry, spice and tar. This is a BIG wine, one that screams "new world". Lots of jammy fruit, with earthiness, currants, tobacco and some vanilla/oak for sure. Mouthcoating and bold, still has firm tannins and a lot of acidity. Well made, and especially considering the challenging vintage, quite enjoyable.
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9/3/2008 - no leashes wrote: 92 Points
Once again, delicious dark, sweet cherry and berry, with tobacco and earth flavors, smooth texture, nice finish and a touch of glycerin. Drinking beautifully. Paired with grilled chicken breast in red mole sauce at Mixteco Grill, excellent match.
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8/11/2008 - Mlermontov wrote: 91 Points
Saturday at the Grillmaster's; 8/9/2008-8/11/2008 (Queens): Ha - i tought i never had this but it turns out i had the same bottle at the same place... but 2 years ago! (wildly - same score!)
Modern wine - started out with jammy ripe fruit but with time evolved - showing more spice and iron, with the jamminess gone. balanced serious middle, chocolate and cherry middle, still strong tannins. this wine needs more time but it came on to be quite impressive - and the initial heat was dissapearing as well.
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8/9/2008 - dougsmith wrote: 93 Points
Saturday Lunch at Fernando's: Deep ruby color. This is just singing right now. Expressive nose with lots of sweet spices, pencil lead and sandy notes; tobacco and licorice in the background. With a couple of hours of air it became much more focused on a precise black cherry note. Full bodied on the palate with a strong acid spine and smooth tannin, bright black cherry and cocoa. Delicious.
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5/30/2008 - vinoceros wrote: 92 Points
Big bottle! Very dark purple with brambleberry, vanilla, oak flavors and more. Decanted for about 30 min. before drinking.
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5/21/2008 - no leashes wrote: 93 Points
Showy wine, inky color, with delicious dark berry, tar and earth flavors. Long finish, well structured and full bodied. We paired it with well flavored Indian cuisine, lamb shank vindaloo, and it worked perfectly.
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5/9/2008 - carlwhat wrote: 88 Points
too thin in the mid-palate to warrant consideration as being a serious wine.
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4/13/2008 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Numanthia at the Masters (Ken's): Shy nose but very accessible and showy on the palate. Rich, round and fleshy with delineated layers of flavors. Soft, sweet tannins provide interest and grip across the midpalate into a creamy flavorful finish.
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4/13/2008 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Masters and Numanthias (Northbrook, IL): This has a more earthy, savoury character to it than the other Numanthias tasted. Lots of dark chocolate, red and dark fruits, earth, vanilla and some toast on the nose and palate with a lush mouthfeel and smooth tannins. Rich medium-long finish.
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2/17/2008 - wineamateur wrote:
Brooding, inky-dark, youthful appearance. A little swirling in the glass revealed some fine sweet scented aromas of blueberry and violets. Not giving much up in the mouth; austere and very dry with just a hint of bitterness. Judgement reserved for now.
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12/30/2007 - jrhiggins7 wrote: 90 Points
Still too young -- but showed good promise.
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12/30/2007 - pfleeg wrote: 89 Points
Young and relatively tannic.
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12/29/2007 - snaff wrote: 92 Points
Dense and complex. Blackberry, cranberry followed by sophisticated earthy notes. Layers of flavor that developed over the evening.
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12/10/2007 - bn999 wrote: 77 Points
Although this will undoubtedly be better in a few years, it is, to me, too young. High tannins. Good with the bear tonight, but not for sipping.
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11/10/2007 - Winetex wrote: 90 Points
Tasted November 10, 2007 at an offline. Quick notes: a tannic beast but very focused flavors of licorice and minerals. Decent balance. Needs more time to integrate and should improve.
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11/10/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted November 10, 2007 at an offline. Nose of tar and melted black licorice. Flavors of black berries. Medium to high acidity, firm tannins, full body. Drink with decant or hold.
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6/3/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 90 Points
Lush fruit with great tannins.
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12/29/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at Bacchanalia VII on December 29, 2006. No tasting note; rating only.
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12/29/2006 - win wrote: 89 Points
Sampled at large tasting - minimal notes. So very young still.
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12/10/2006 - dougsmith wrote: 91 Points
Sunday Brunch at Fernando's (Queens, NY): Deep ruby color. Very modern nose of raspberries, blackberries, vanilla and spice. The palate comes across a bit dryer than the nose would let on, but there's still plenty of tannic grip here. Very nice wine, but may need a couple more years to show at its best.
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12/10/2006 - Mlermontov wrote: 91 Points
Light Sunday Brunch at Fernado's :) (Queens): Modern nose, modern wine...but i really liked this one. sweet raspberries, vanilla, no heat, blackberry, good rich tannic structure, a core of sweet fruit, but not cloying, mouthcoating tannins, would be interesting to try in a few, long finish. (91++)
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2/24/2006 - AstonM wrote: 89 Points
good but I'd rather have San Roman for less $$$
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12/6/2005 - hcampana wrote: 91 Points
Drank double blind with my tasting group. Inky purplish black. Intense nose of vanilla, blackberries and wet loamy earth. Very full bodied with chewy tannins and livelier acidity than you'd expect from a Toro (even though it is overall low). The finish is slightly hot. This will be an even greater wine with 5 more years. I guessed this was a 2001 Pintia...and missed!
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11/26/2005 - Cicero wrote: 92 Points
deep purple color with some vanilla, tobacco and wet earth nosings. The mouth is round and full of highly extracted cherry flavors wrapped in oak, spicey and smokey notes, with smooth tannins and some acidity. As with the 2000, the oak will mellow in a 2-3 years, and drink well for 5-7 after that. Excellent and delicious.
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11/16/2005 - 97mjr wrote:
[PWJGT] **.5
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8/12/2005 - thebonnydooner wrote: 93 Points
Drank at Seastar in Bellevue. Decanted for about 30 mins. This was an awesome wine over the course of the two hours it took to drink it. Deep colour, lots of ripe blackberry, currant fruit. Would have probably picked this for a Shiraz in a blind tasting. Palate is a bit more earthy though, with a deep, ripe blackberry fruit core and silky cherry tannins on the finish. This was excellent - but needed to be a bit more characterful to be great.
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7/5/2005 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($60) Rhone & Spain Dinner: Blind 4 - Sweet oak nose with intense dark fruit on the nose. Black currant fruit and more sweet oak on the palate with the wine seeming more acidic and tannic late in the palate. Tastes serious. Coconut nose. Pretty nice - not the 2001, but pretty nice anyway. Bad QPR though.
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3/5/2005 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($60) 100% Tinta de Toro. Overall I was disappointed with this wine, particularly vis-à-vis its price and quality relative to the 2001 vintage. Initially closed and a little too woody with an overly tangy palate. Broadened and became a little more chocolatey with air time, but it never justified its price.
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10/26/2004 - TripDaddy wrote: 91 Points
Interesting nose of dried cranberries, leather, a bit of barnyard but then sweet dark fruits. Kind of a swirling boquet if you will. The palate follwed the nose pretty closely. Nice, balanced fruit, but came of a bit light at first but with time put on weight and depth. The finish gets cut short by substantial, drying tannins. I think this wine needs a few years to soften up. For the money it represents a great value in Spanish wines. solid 91+ pointer.
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