April 5, 2019 - Day one this was not great. All disjointed, warm, flavors and aromas popping up everywhere but no great fruit. Mostly secondary basalmic notes with some black cherry. Herbaceous but not smooth very disjointed. Strange oak pops up. Mostly tasting like a bad home brew.
I am always suspicious of a Spanish wine that has a full description in English. Especially when it’s clearly opaque rather than translucent as the descriptor states in the first few words.
Day 2 this was much more than integrated with deep cherry, herbaceous and black tar with some funky oak notes. Truly I e had many $15 wines that were more fresh, crisp and enjoyable. However this is Tinto de Toro, a variety I am not as familiar with.
With all the English notes on the front and the little gold medal sticker always makes e weary.
In the e d it was acceptable table wine on day two. Day one was a bust.
Maybe this has long aging ahead of it but I wouldn’t buy another bottle. I didn’t hate it, but it was educational. I’ll steer clear of this as I love more defined wines of CS, Merlot, PN or Syrah.
I’ll keep looking for good Tempranillo rather than Tinto de Toro.
May 24, 2018 - Loved this at cooler temps. Unfiltered.
Nice wine for the money. Drink at cellar temperatures or slightly above. Full bodied dark cherries with fresh paved asphalt. Not bad with a grilled steak. Not so great as it warms to room temperature, but it’s Spanish. Best at 30C or below and enjoyed as it warms up. Drink up now. Maybe 2-5 years left at best and I have a cold, damp cellar. Very enjoyable.
June 5, 2017 - Rui profundo, escuro, clareando nas margens. Lágrimas abundantes. Aromas intensos de frutas escuras, pós-maduras, uva-passa, ameixa preta, tabaco, tosta. Boca cheia e suculenta, os anos amaciaram os taninos, manteve ótima acidez que equilibrou o álcool, tornando o vinho incansável. Complexo, intenso, persistente. Preenche a boca e pede que se queira mais.
February 24, 2017 - Deep ruby red with purple splashes, high optical density and medium reflectivity. Very appealing medium intensity nose, with cherry, earth, balsamic, and crunchy tobacco leaf on a forest floor. Very developed and complex bouquet here. Full bodied on the palate with a very polished texture. Tannins have melted away, leaving a deep framework that is dry (not overly so) and with medium to medium plus acidity to support evolved flavours. The attack shows cherry, and mixed berries above a soft floral forest meadow. The midpalate stays consistent with the entry, but adds some bramble and brush before turning toward balsamic and tobacco smoke. Really nice elegant flavours here, with decent depth and a vinous character. Not faded or over the hill, but certainly should be enjoyed soon! The finish has medium length and shows brushy herbal character, with a hint of savory notes (butter-fried herbs).
Very nice wine- elegant, classy, polished, and very enjoyable to drink. Very full and round texture, showing density and concentration, but without any flashy or over-the-top style. Here is just excellent, well-made wine in a great window, and for a great price! Bravo!
July 12, 2016 - Powerful deep red with medium plus optical density. Equally powerful nose, with good complexity, showing dark brooding fruit (plum, cherry) below enticing balsamic and herbal spices. Full body on the palate, with a dense texture, medium acidity, and perfectly integrated tannins. At once palate-coating and elegant, this is a very well-balanced wine. Flavours on the attack of herbal-infused fruit (plum, cherry, and cranberry coated in baking herbs) that build toward the full midpalate, which brings in some baking spices and floral notes, along with black pepper, ending in a savory and spice-hot finish that lingers with notes of pipe tobacco smoke and peppercorn bathed in balsamic flavours. Really nice wine, and seems to show its age well! Elegant wine, but with great depth and enough complexity to evolve in the glass and on the palate, this wine delivered more than expected!
March 21, 2014 - Smoothed out on day two, lovely both the first Nd second night.
February 9, 2014 - Nice nose. Well concentrated flavor with some tobacco notes.
March 3, 2013 - Nice drinking wine but a bit on the light bodied side for a Spanish red.
February 12, 2013 - Not my favorite for this pric e r ange
February 11, 2013 - A glass at Etapes. Very well balanced for a Toro, which is a region that I've encountered hot alcoholic and extracted wines more often than not. Medium to full bodied, smooth dark red fruit, a hint of wild herbs, meaty, and finishes with nice acidity.