100% Tinta de Toro. Cold-soaked for up to 5 days before the fermentation in oak vats, aged in French (70%), American (25%) and Hungarian (5%) oak barrels for 12 months. Bottle #53846. 15% alcohol.
Dark, almost fully opaque yet still relatively youthful cherry-red color with a brick-orange rim. Very dense, concentrated and dark-toned nose with somewhat evolved aromas of wizened dark plums, some boozy notes of alcohol, a little bit of leathery funk, light tertiary nuances of tobacco, a meaty hint of prosciutto and a touch of forest floor. The wine feels ripe, dense and concentrated with intense and rather sweetish flavors of wizened dark plums, some dried dates, a little bit of overripe black cherry, light raisiny tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of blackberry or black raspberry. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate and the structure seems to rely mostly on the tough, extracted and still quite grippy tannins rather than on the medium-plus acidity. The finish is rich, bold and quite grippy with rather pronounced alcohol heat and intense, somewhat evolved and moderately sweetish flavors of prunes and raisins, some savory notes of old leather and a little bit of tobacco, an extracted hint of woody bitterness and an evolved touch of gamey meat.
Contrasting the very evolved and rather oxidized bottle we tasted a year and a half ago, this wine was miles better - not really showing any obvious oxidative notes, just very evolved and moderately tertiary fruit. There's still not escaping the fact that this wine comes from a very sunny vintage in a very hot region, so there's lots of everything - except for perhaps finesse. The wine is big, concentrated and quite clumsy, with way too much alcohol for my preference. Even though the wine is fully drinkable - unlike the previous bottle we had - this still feels more like a caricature of Toro than a wine to be taken seriously. This is good in its own sort of way, but still not my kind of thing.
100% Tinta de Toro. Cold-soaked for up to 5 days before the fermentation in oak vats, aged in French (70%), American (25%) and Hungarian (5%) oak barrels for 12 months. Bottle #117527. 15% alcohol.
Deep and somewhat translucent blackish cherry red color. Pungent, oxidative and rather unpleasant nose with a very prominent streak of fusel alcohols that remind me a lot of awamori (distilled rice alcohol from Okinawa) and grappa. These boozy aromas are followed by lighter aromas of oxidative nuttiness, some dog food and a little bit of soy sauce. A rather unattractive impression. The wine is dense, ripe and sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and intense, chewy flavors of meat consommé, some grappa-like notes of fusel alcohol, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light notes of extracted woody bitterness and savory oak spice, a hint of ferrous blood and a touch of oxidative nuttiness. The overall feel is very concentrated and rather robust, but also lacking definition and elegance. The structure relies much more on the tough and heavily extracted tannins than on the medium acidity. The high alcohol makes the wine appear rather hot and boozy. The finish is hot, tannic and very long with very long and quite tertiary flavors of oxidative nuttiness, some meaty umami notes, a little bit of beef jerky, light fusel notes of awamori, a sweet hint of prune and a touch of extracted woody bitterness.
A tough, too heavy and rather unbalanced Toro that is already getting part its prime. The wine is completely devoid of freshness; the nose is rather off-putting with its aromas of awamori, grappa and dog food; the fruit is getting tired and dull; and oxidation is already starting to creep in. With its overwhelming alcohol heat and quite low acidity, the wine is not particularly enjoyable and quite quickly becomes a chore to drink. Quite a disappointment. Not recommended.
very dark. i get mocha, coffee, stewed fruit. some tannic structure. on the ripe side and a bit modern. not poorly made. just not my style anymore.
Lo and behold on the 2nd day this somehow has become integrated, with bright cherries, spices, touches of oak, and somehow vibrant. Granted I am drinking this below 60 degrees F but this just goes to show you Rioja needs a shit load of air to truly understand and appreciate what it holds.
Merkelig opplevelse. Åpner nesten lukket på duft med mørke bær og et solid eikepreg i bakgrunnen. På smak, så er dette nesten udrikkelig. En vegg av tanniner kombinert med en voldsom brennende alkoholfinish. Og lite annet, nesten som å drikke rødvin blandet ut med vodka. Går rett i karaffel med håp om bedring. Åpner seg etter to timer med velutviklet frukt, litt mer håndterbare finkornete tanniner og en alkohol som svinner hen. Funket relativt bra til grillet hangersteak, men dette er og blir et monster av en vin. Not my cup of tea, og derfor ingen rating.
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(Paul & Glenda's mini Pintia vertical) Quite similar to the 2004. Lacks obvious fruit but as expected fantastic structure with long cold tannin. Just a hint of brett funk.
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Dense, inky red colour. Tight nose - slight vanilla and oak prominent. Initial tastes of vanilla, liquorice and black fruits with olive / tapenade coming out after a bit of breathing. Smooth, long finish. Drinking very nicely and still with a bit of life left.
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From magnum. Not decanted. Initially strong oak aromas. After 45 minutes breathing the wine started to show its real qualities with aromas of violets, coal and wet earth. Harmonically balanced. On the palate this bottle was ready from the first moment. Silky, suave yet firm, long Tempranillo with good acidity despite the criticised vintage. Where is the supposed warm? Elegance is possible in Toro.
De una magnum. No se decantó. Inicialmente fuertes aromas a roble. Después de 45 minutos respirando del vino comenzaron a mostrarse sus cualidades de verdad con aromas a violetas, carbón y tierra mojada. Armónicamente equilibrada. En boca esta botella estaba lista desde el primer momento. Sedoso, suave pero firme, largo Tempranillo con una buena acidez a pesar de la criticada añada. ¿Dónde está el supuesto calor? La elegancia es posible en Toro.
The last Pintia sipped from the 2003 - 2008 vertical. Breathed in the bottle for nearly 4 hours before sipping. Brownish-red on the eye...ready to sip for sure! Bitter chocolate, black fruit and coffee with hints of veggies on the nose. Powerful tannins, silky sweet dark fruits, good structure and excellent balance. Nice, fairly long finish. Truly an excellent wine!!! We think it has a year or two of life left in it. Sadly, she had to follow the 2005 (WOTN)...sort of like stepping into the ring with Ronda Rousey...she never had a chance. Still luvly. Outstanding QPR!!!
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Tried without decanting about 2 hours after opening. Beautiful smokey dark fruits, nicely balanced by acidity. Vanilla in the background and nice length. Another couple of hours and some of the magic had gone along with some fruit. Still good but definitely drink up soon.
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Loads of ripe, but mature fruits on the nose. Taste is medium to full bodied. At first lots of primary fruits, followed by decent acidity. Some heat is evident in the wine though. A wine from a warm vintage, where all the fruit is in place but perhaps it lacks some balance.
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Still youthful and improved in the glass over the course of the evening after being decanted. Very long, creamy chocolate dark fruit. Significant but ripe tannins. Wears its 15% supremely well. Lovely wine, and no rush to drink.
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Excelente y el mejor en cata a ciegas vs. Alion 2004 y Macan 2009. Oscuro en color, madera integrada, fruta silvestre. Bastante redondo en boca y creo que durará bastante más años. 10 años es el mínimo para un Toro de Vega Sicilia.
Like in every Rodeo show some are playing the clown. Ten years aren't a period of time enough for a Toro wine, even in a case it is directly coming from Vega Sicilia. Still a dark colour and smelling sweet garriges. Some elegance, silky texture the palate. Tamed bottle. Little of the Pintia character. My magnum for next 2015. A veggie rissoto was a perfect mate.
Como en los Rodeos algunos hacen el payaso... Diez años no son bastantes para un vino de Toro, incluso cuando viene directamente de Vega Sicilia. Todavía un color oscuro y oliendo a algarrobas dulces. Algo de elegancia, en boca textura asedada. Botella domada. Muy poco del carácter Pintia. Mi magnum para el próximo 2015. Un rissoto de vegetales fue un compañero perfecto.
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Smell in the glass: prunes, prunes, prunes. Not any run-of-the-mill prunes. Rather, prunes that are just about to turn - like horse poop after a day in the summer heat.
Just as you are about to pull a swig into your mouth: tobacco. Robust, Cuban tobacco - hand-rolled by assembly-line communists listening to a story-reader sitting in a life-guard chair visible and audible to everyone on the factory floor. These are true artisans. Multi-generational professionals. Damn. Drinking this wine I don't even need to smoke that cigar.
Intense and different. A strong, bold character. Doesn't need sycophants or hangers on.
Also - unusual. Don't pour for Mom's genealogy club. They would only have to politely compliment and then pour down the drain when no one was looking. No amount of ketchup makes this pile of peas palatable to that posse. Only for true believers.
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Lots of sediment. Very clean nose of black fruit over a very tame oak in an elegant and balanced pack. Tannins are tamed by the 9 years that have passed after the vintage, and the mouth is balanced with excellent fruit and acidity, with excellent precission. A very good wine that has some future ahead and, while not my favorite style of wine at 15% alcohol, it was the perfect wine for a cold autumn Sunday night.
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BBQ event early Oct 2012: deep purple color; not decanted, needed about 2 hours to fully open up; intense melange of cherry, blackberry, cranberry, blueberry, mulberry plus vanilla and wood; extremely full body and tanninic; smooth, lush texture.
Give this wine time to breathe. If you drink him too early after opening you waste much pleasure potential.
Reminded me strongly of a Numanthia.
15 vol.% alcohol!
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Nice nose of licorice, blueberries, and spice. Showed really nice complexity and balance with a nice long finish. I would say that it is drinking near if not at it's peak. Really nice wine.
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Very good wine and elegant. I drank this wine four years ago and it was disappointing. Some years in the bottle made it better. He combined well with the steak. Recommend.
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In the bouquet a pleasant bit of barnyard. On the palate a good concentration with spices like clove, dark fruits, creamy a firm amount of acidity and soft tannin. A bit alcoholic in the finish. This bottle was completely ready. (See also my previous note.)
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Barnyard, licorice, raspberries and cherries in the bouquet. On the palate very complete and many layers, good fruits still, oak, creamy and a beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity. Ready now and a future of several years.
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Incredible bottle of wine, I read the Cellartracker comments before opening it. I was looking for a wine that could stand up to grilled baby back ribs. It did that and more. There were a couple of comments suggesting that the wine was too tannic. My guests and I did not see that. It certainly has strong tannins which give the wine structure and backbone, but not too much. A great wine and a great evening.
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Decanted over one hour.This was quite a tannic beast.On the nose vibrant dark fruit,blackberries and blueberries.Good and vibrant dark fruit on the palate with some chocolate and oaky notes but delivering tons of dusty tannins as well.Like sandpaper was coating my mouth.Incredible.Overall, monolithic and not very interesting,and therefore a disappointment.
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Herbs and maybe cigar and spice on the nose - not much in the way of fruit except maybe some blackcurrants... On the palate (second day after opening) firstly a refreshing light red fruits, good acidity, then underpinned by ripe tannins and the dark red fruits, reinforced by the slight bitterness of liquorice. Long, tasty and well balanced.
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very nice and big wine but agree with other users that didnt have a lot of "terrior" and could have been from a few different places it seemed. dark chocolate and fruit. nice nose. decanted for 4-5 hours.
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Just opened...initially the nose is like big black and blue fruit pie. Blackberries, blueberries, pie crust, with faint vegetal notes on the nose. Same fruits on the palate, but with a wonderful layer of chocolate in the middle and on the finish. Just before posting this I take another whiff and catch wonderful roasted meat component.
This is incredible...and it just opened. I'm sure it will disappear way too quickly.
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I sold most of my case to a local wineshop but kept 1 to see if my estimation improved over time. I probably should have waited longer but I can report that while I see why people do like this wine, it is just not for me. The fruit and alcohol are big and while there is some lovely complexity here (smoky wood and long blueberry flavours on the finish), it just didn't feel very Spanish. I drank it with an Aussie friend and no surprise he loved it.
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over twee avonden gedronken, 2de avond was de wijn op z'n best. Rode kleur, wat strenge neus, donker fruit, chocolade, houtgebruik, smaak is stevig met inhoud, concentratie, later meer elegantie en drinkbaarheid, wel iets bij eten
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Dark red; lovely fruit, ripe dark berries, chocolate; very tannic (too much), very strong/powerful, deep/very concentrated, slightly burnt, good structure; very good, but the tannin and burntness takes it a bit down as it appears too overwhelming at least at this stage, perhaps time will resolve?
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Een knaller! Vette geur van eikenhout, zwart fruit en espresso-koffie. In de smaak vooral zwart, fruit koffie en chocolade, zoet en vrij sterk. Flinke afdronk, tannines zijn duidelijk aanwezig, maar niet overheersend.
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Smell: roasted coffee, dark fruits, smoky notes, vanilla, fig, cinnamon, and a bit of char
Taste: Chocolate, dark fruits, blueberry, cedar, plum, and graphite
Overall: This wine was tasted side by side from a Riedel Tempranillo glass (95 points) and from a regular Riedel Bordeaux glass (92 points). The marked difference in the nose and palate presence was breathtaking. I am officially sold on yet another glass in the Riedel line-up.
With all that said, this was a wine that moved me and brought me back to the present place and time. For me, it's easy to get lost, sidetracked, or distracted in blind tastings. Yet this wine demanded the complete attention of everyone in the room...and that to me is a hallmark of a classic wine.
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Dark color, aromatic nose. Lots of dark and red fruits, with a good amount of well integrated oak contributing coffee, mocha notes. Only had a small glass at a tasting but would have enjoyed tasting through a full bottle.
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This is a dense, ripe beast of a Spanish wine. I have to say that the oak is very well integrated but I'm assuming the 2003-ness of this wine strips away some of the more subtle notes that you'd expect from this bottle. Although I found some finesse in the glass there wasn't much in terms of definition. Not much spice to talk about and pretty much dark, forward fruit. I enjoyed this bottle but it underdelivered. The tannin structure was late and abrupt and not well integrated. It played the part of a tannin that could age well but the lack of acidity said otherwise. Drink it up and move on to the 2004's if you've got them.
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Splash decanted and left for 30 minutes then drank over 2 hours. Blood red colour that is totally opaque except surprisingly transparent at the edge. Nose of warm and welcoming rich caramel, sun-warmed tarmac, very ripe sweet dark plums, some hibiscus and autumn woodsmoke. Palate is very sweet and unctuous red fruits on the front end with very noticeable but pleasant new French oak and a velvety mouthfeel moving into a ruggedly drying tannic and cinnamon sticks back end. Toothcoating, rich and extracted but not overly so. Good length and some resonance in the head on the finish. Still very young yet approachable, but I'm not sure that this style of winemaking will support longevity or maturity into something more complex. My biggest criticism is that it is almost completely terrior-less.........tasted blind I would probably have guessed it as an almost-super Tuscan or a well-made Argentinian or perhaps a high-end Australian Shiraz.....or....
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Deep rich expressive blueberries, bitter sweet chocolate and extremely dark roast espresso. Layers of highly extracted fruit attack the palate with more deep blue fruit, scorched earth and dark chocolate. Lots of grip on the finish with lively and drying tannins structure. Very nice, still needs some time to integrate.
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Whilst true to its DO (and country)- traditional style, oaky for sure - it wasn't over sweet like so many. I liked it a lot (it is a Vega Sicilia wine, after all) good concentration, dark fruits, blackberries, fine tannins. Ripe but classy, notably more balanced than other Toros I've had. As a food wine, better with the cheese than the roast meat - as you'd expect, perhaps - a hot region wine leaning towards a port sweetness but matched with some french oak vanilla. It all adds up to a great cocktail wine, although a slow-cooked-fabada, long on the morcilla, sounds like a great match too.
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2003 Bodegas Pintia (Vega-Sicilia) Toro Pintia (Spanje, Castilla y León, Toro) Kleur: Diep donkerrood Aroma / bouquet: Aanzet is direct rijp en gebrand, gedroogd donker fruit, hout / vanille (Frans eiken), mokka / chocola en vooral koffieboontjes. Smaak / Afdronk: Zoetige aanzet, mist de zuren maar biedt wel een prachtige structuur en concentratie, krachtige maar boterzachte tannines. In de mond ook chocola en mokka. Enorme lengte, wat mij betreft nèt even te alcoholisch. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooi glas, wel erg veel alcohol. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 91/100
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Young and tight but with six hours air it began to reveal the future with some beautiful nuance. But right now you have to put up with some serious structure that detracts from the experience. Patience, patience!
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We didn't decant it with enough time but after an hour it started to open up. What we found is strong tannins with blackberries and plum, a little cassis note but perhaps the oak covers the fruit. Let in celllar 2 more years and we'll see what happen.
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Wonderfully balanced wine. Nose of dark fruits that screams a Toro wine. On the palate, definitely tannic, but with mouth coating flavors of blackberry and vanilla oak. Full bodied and somewhat of a restrained monster. Style not for everyone and if the oak took a bit of a back seat, I'd rate it higher.
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Tasting with TheDumbPhase: Tasted blind: med+ ruby in the glass. Nose: mellow oak, warm climate dark fruit. Palate: med+/full body. med- acid. Sticky tannins. Flutter of pyrazines. Fruit falls off relatively quickly. My guess: Spanish blend with maybe some cab/cab franc. (don't know why I went with Spain - probably just the oak on the nose and palate). Joe's guess: California cabernet, ~$30's, Napa. (acid and tannins too low for spain). After a bit of time in the decanter, the tannins seemed bigger.
rp92+, st 90
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NM. Tostado excessivo, taninos muito duros e secos, ainda por resolver. Embora possa melhorar com o tempo, hoje é um vinho com uma rusticidade que o coloca num nível abaixo das demais safras. 90(+?)pts. O.
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deep garnet. Definitiely New World. Deep blacker fruits. Plums, tobacco. Others mention oak, I'm not as overwhelmed, but it is there. Very good potential, but drinking well now.
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Aromas intensos de fruta madura, tabaco, frutos negros, madeira e especiarias. Taninos muito marcantes e secos, média acidez, com grande concentração de fruta. Tostado forte bastante persistente. Final amargo, lembrando tabaco e café. O/E.
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Gourmet dinner and tasting at ProActive: Dark almost black. Loads of "turkish pepper" (the danish candy "tyrkisk peber" is a very strong bonbon with pepper, licorice, salt etc.) on the nose. Tastewise it has some sweet and intense red berries, but also loads of spices and a peculiar amount of more exotic fruit. Turns somewhat bitter and alcoholic in the aftertaste. Clearly a "victim" of the hot year, I liked the 2001 much better.
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Confirmando impressões anteriores, revela boa concentração de fruta sobremadura, intensidade aromática apresentando o café, o tostado e a ameixa e na boca bom corpo com média acidez, bons taninos e amargor final. Concentrado, intenso, encorpado. Parece ter bom potencial para evoluir e melhorar. Excelente.
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That was one of my wines I want to try to see what Toro is about: At the beginning the nose was a bit shy, but after intensive swirling it opens up to a quite lively, perfumed and "crushed blackfruits" like nose. It reminds my of a good Shiraz, but it is 100% Tinta de Torro. The mouthfeel is great. Silky tannis with some blackberries and plum, tabacco/leather flavors and nearly full bodied. The finish is looong and fruity. Very modern in style. Let this sleep for another 3-5 years or enjoy this right now with a decent air time. 92-93 pts.
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Big deep dark and long. Rich ripe tannins but overall far too young for my taste. This will be a blockbuster and I suspect my scores for it will improve - in the meantime, try one by all means as it is drinkable, but try to leave for at least 3 years for everything to come nto focus.
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Vertical Pintia (Aguzzo - SP): Logo no nariz se sente a concentração de fruta sobremadura e a madeira. Aromas de ameixa, tostado, café e ponta de especiarias. Na boca mais pesado que os demais, com a fruta madura se sobressaindo misturada com madeira intensa que traz especiarias e leve amargor. Média acidez, taninos e corpo macios e boa persistência. Excelente.
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Pintia - vertical (01-03) (Aguzzo): Misto de fruta madura e tostado intenso, com madeira bem mais evidente. Leve traço mineral. Textura sedosa, encorpado, muito extraído, com fruta abundante e amargor médio. Menos acidez que os demais. Não arrisco palpite sobre potencial de evolução. E.
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What a surprise ! A bit heavy and shy on the nose to begin with, but give it an hour or so and you will have a well balanced wine on your palette. Nice and friuty with balanced tannis that seems to me that it also can keep for another 10 years !!
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Deep. deep color-almost black.. In your face aroma as soon as the cork came out of the bottle. Earthy aroma of dark fruit in the glass. Earthy cherry flavor with HEAVY tannins. Very long finish.
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A sweet red fruit nose with some fine oak. It feels really velvety on the attack. This is full and open with really good character. Big tannins make themselves felt on the finish. Lovely now, but no rush whatsoever.
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Deep ruby color. Intense nose of black fruit (ripe blackberries, plums), spice, licorice and floral notes. Really voluptuous, with dominant fruit. After about an hour of oxygen some cocoa notes also appeared. On the palate it is full bodied, very ripe and juicy flavors; relatively low acid with youthful tannin and long finish. 15% abv. is well covered by fruit. This is quite similar to a good Shiraz.
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Deep purple in color. The nose is smokey cherry with some minerality. medium high acidity with firm big tannins. Huge fruit appears to be hidden behind the tannins with minerals, cherry and cinnamon making it to the forefront. Long ways to go on this wine. 4.5/5
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12/24/2022 - Get Real Likes this wine: 91 Points
This felt past peak but definitely still very enjoyable if you enjoy tertiary flavours.
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3/22/2022 - forceberry wrote: 87 Points
100% Tinta de Toro. Cold-soaked for up to 5 days before the fermentation in oak vats, aged in French (70%), American (25%) and Hungarian (5%) oak barrels for 12 months. Bottle #53846. 15% alcohol.
Dark, almost fully opaque yet still relatively youthful cherry-red color with a brick-orange rim. Very dense, concentrated and dark-toned nose with somewhat evolved aromas of wizened dark plums, some boozy notes of alcohol, a little bit of leathery funk, light tertiary nuances of tobacco, a meaty hint of prosciutto and a touch of forest floor. The wine feels ripe, dense and concentrated with intense and rather sweetish flavors of wizened dark plums, some dried dates, a little bit of overripe black cherry, light raisiny tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of blackberry or black raspberry. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate and the structure seems to rely mostly on the tough, extracted and still quite grippy tannins rather than on the medium-plus acidity. The finish is rich, bold and quite grippy with rather pronounced alcohol heat and intense, somewhat evolved and moderately sweetish flavors of prunes and raisins, some savory notes of old leather and a little bit of tobacco, an extracted hint of woody bitterness and an evolved touch of gamey meat.
Contrasting the very evolved and rather oxidized bottle we tasted a year and a half ago, this wine was miles better - not really showing any obvious oxidative notes, just very evolved and moderately tertiary fruit. There's still not escaping the fact that this wine comes from a very sunny vintage in a very hot region, so there's lots of everything - except for perhaps finesse. The wine is big, concentrated and quite clumsy, with way too much alcohol for my preference. Even though the wine is fully drinkable - unlike the previous bottle we had - this still feels more like a caricature of Toro than a wine to be taken seriously. This is good in its own sort of way, but still not my kind of thing.
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3/11/2022 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a fabulous and intense Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). Still young. Thoroughly sunkissed.
Dark red, clear bricking.
Deep, rich alluring aromatics that promises a profound impact and experience.
And, yes, promise delivered!
Spices, herbs, earth, plums, fruit and a good dollop of tannic pleasures. Intense! Long! This is fantastic!
Wife restrained at 93p.
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10/1/2020 - forceberry wrote: 81 Points
100% Tinta de Toro. Cold-soaked for up to 5 days before the fermentation in oak vats, aged in French (70%), American (25%) and Hungarian (5%) oak barrels for 12 months. Bottle #117527. 15% alcohol.
Deep and somewhat translucent blackish cherry red color. Pungent, oxidative and rather unpleasant nose with a very prominent streak of fusel alcohols that remind me a lot of awamori (distilled rice alcohol from Okinawa) and grappa. These boozy aromas are followed by lighter aromas of oxidative nuttiness, some dog food and a little bit of soy sauce. A rather unattractive impression. The wine is dense, ripe and sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and intense, chewy flavors of meat consommé, some grappa-like notes of fusel alcohol, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light notes of extracted woody bitterness and savory oak spice, a hint of ferrous blood and a touch of oxidative nuttiness. The overall feel is very concentrated and rather robust, but also lacking definition and elegance. The structure relies much more on the tough and heavily extracted tannins than on the medium acidity. The high alcohol makes the wine appear rather hot and boozy. The finish is hot, tannic and very long with very long and quite tertiary flavors of oxidative nuttiness, some meaty umami notes, a little bit of beef jerky, light fusel notes of awamori, a sweet hint of prune and a touch of extracted woody bitterness.
A tough, too heavy and rather unbalanced Toro that is already getting part its prime. The wine is completely devoid of freshness; the nose is rather off-putting with its aromas of awamori, grappa and dog food; the fruit is getting tired and dull; and oxidation is already starting to creep in. With its overwhelming alcohol heat and quite low acidity, the wine is not particularly enjoyable and quite quickly becomes a chore to drink. Quite a disappointment. Not recommended.
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5/18/2020 - herbaceous Likes this wine: 91 Points
Plum Gunpowder Minerals. Really big and more extracted than the 03, but great. Lot of heat. Better give it a lot of air.
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8/28/2016 - lolo66 wrote:
very dark. i get mocha, coffee, stewed fruit. some tannic structure. on the ripe side and a bit modern. not poorly made. just not my style anymore.
Lo and behold on the 2nd day this somehow has become integrated, with bright cherries, spices, touches of oak, and somehow vibrant. Granted I am drinking this below 60 degrees F but this just goes to show you Rioja needs a shit load of air to truly understand and appreciate what it holds.
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7/4/2016 - alba_br wrote: 89 Points
Excelente
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6/30/2016 - Henda Does not like this wine:
Merkelig opplevelse. Åpner nesten lukket på duft med mørke bær og et solid eikepreg i bakgrunnen. På smak, så er dette nesten udrikkelig. En vegg av tanniner kombinert med en voldsom brennende alkoholfinish. Og lite annet, nesten som å drikke rødvin blandet ut med vodka. Går rett i karaffel med håp om bedring. Åpner seg etter to timer med velutviklet frukt, litt mer håndterbare finkornete tanniner og en alkohol som svinner hen. Funket relativt bra til grillet hangersteak, men dette er og blir et monster av en vin. Not my cup of tea, og derfor ingen rating.
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5/2/2016 - StewartWent wrote: 90 Points
(Paul & Glenda's mini Pintia vertical)
Quite similar to the 2004. Lacks obvious fruit but as expected fantastic structure with long cold tannin. Just a hint of brett funk.
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4/7/2016 - 22jefski Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plum, dark fruit, chocolate, soft tannins, all very polished and very well integrated. Very good Pintia at its top. Drink now
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11/22/2015 - Lordswood wrote: 89 Points
Very much at the coffee / chocolate end of the spectrum. This is still rich and tasty, but you do need to drink up now, I reckon.
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11/13/2015 - rjsmall Likes this wine:
Dense, inky red colour. Tight nose - slight vanilla and oak prominent. Initial tastes of vanilla, liquorice and black fruits with olive / tapenade coming out after a bit of breathing. Smooth, long finish. Drinking very nicely and still with a bit of life left.
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10/30/2015 - lolo66 wrote:
agree with. time to drink up. This doesn't have the tannic structure to last long and should have been drunk in the short term.
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10/29/2015 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
From magnum. Not decanted.
Initially strong oak aromas. After 45 minutes breathing the wine started to show its real qualities with aromas of violets, coal and wet earth. Harmonically balanced. On the palate this bottle was ready from the first moment. Silky, suave yet firm, long Tempranillo with good acidity despite the criticised vintage. Where is the supposed warm?
Elegance is possible in Toro.
De una magnum. No se decantó.
Inicialmente fuertes aromas a roble. Después de 45 minutos respirando del vino comenzaron a mostrarse sus cualidades de verdad con aromas a violetas, carbón y tierra mojada. Armónicamente equilibrada. En boca esta botella estaba lista desde el primer momento. Sedoso, suave pero firme, largo Tempranillo con una buena acidez a pesar de la criticada añada. ¿Dónde está el supuesto calor?
La elegancia es posible en Toro.
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9/20/2015 - Blacksmith450 wrote: 92 Points
Vin qui commence à être mature. Équilibré et racé. Belle longueur.
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9/12/2015 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 93 Points
The last Pintia sipped from the 2003 - 2008 vertical. Breathed in the bottle for nearly 4 hours before sipping. Brownish-red on the eye...ready to sip for sure! Bitter chocolate, black fruit and coffee with hints of veggies on the nose. Powerful tannins, silky sweet dark fruits, good structure and excellent balance. Nice, fairly long finish. Truly an excellent wine!!! We think it has a year or two of life left in it. Sadly, she had to follow the 2005 (WOTN)...sort of like stepping into the ring with Ronda Rousey...she never had a chance. Still luvly. Outstanding QPR!!!
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4/26/2015 - Lordswood wrote: 90 Points
Tried without decanting about 2 hours after opening. Beautiful smokey dark fruits, nicely balanced by acidity. Vanilla in the background and nice length. Another couple of hours and some of the magic had gone along with some fruit. Still good but definitely drink up soon.
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4/7/2015 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 90 Points
Loads of ripe, but mature fruits on the nose. Taste is medium to full bodied. At first lots of primary fruits, followed by decent acidity. Some heat is evident in the wine though. A wine from a warm vintage, where all the fruit is in place but perhaps it lacks some balance.
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2/28/2015 - CabIsKing wrote: 91 Points
Very similar as last time. A very well made wine in a great place.
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9/13/2014 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
Still youthful and improved in the glass over the course of the evening after being decanted. Very long, creamy chocolate dark fruit. Significant but ripe tannins. Wears its 15% supremely well. Lovely wine, and no rush to drink.
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2/21/2014 - absolut wrote: 88 Points
zu wenig Frucht für das stramme Säuregerüst; in der Preisliga hätte ich mehr erwartet....
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12/13/2013 - Pedro G wrote: 92 Points
Excelente y el mejor en cata a ciegas vs. Alion 2004 y Macan 2009. Oscuro en color, madera integrada, fruta silvestre. Bastante redondo en boca y creo que durará bastante más años. 10 años es el mínimo para un Toro de Vega Sicilia.
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10/4/2013 - Harley1199 wrote:
Like in every Rodeo show some are playing the clown.
Ten years aren't a period of time enough for a Toro wine, even in a case it is directly coming from Vega Sicilia.
Still a dark colour and smelling sweet garriges.
Some elegance, silky texture the palate.
Tamed bottle. Little of the Pintia character.
My magnum for next 2015.
A veggie rissoto was a perfect mate.
Como en los Rodeos algunos hacen el payaso...
Diez años no son bastantes para un vino de Toro, incluso cuando viene directamente de Vega Sicilia.
Todavía un color oscuro y oliendo a algarrobas dulces.
Algo de elegancia, en boca textura asedada.
Botella domada. Muy poco del carácter Pintia.
Mi magnum para el próximo 2015.
Un rissoto de vegetales fue un compañero perfecto.
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9/1/2013 - rhialto wrote: 89 Points
Smell in the glass: prunes, prunes, prunes. Not any run-of-the-mill prunes. Rather, prunes that are just about to turn - like horse poop after a day in the summer heat.
Just as you are about to pull a swig into your mouth: tobacco. Robust, Cuban tobacco - hand-rolled by assembly-line communists listening to a story-reader sitting in a life-guard chair visible and audible to everyone on the factory floor. These are true artisans. Multi-generational professionals. Damn. Drinking this wine I don't even need to smoke that cigar.
Intense and different. A strong, bold character. Doesn't need sycophants or hangers on.
Also - unusual. Don't pour for Mom's genealogy club. They would only have to politely compliment and then pour down the drain when no one was looking. No amount of ketchup makes this pile of peas palatable to that posse. Only for true believers.
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2/20/2013 - Mackmoo wrote: 88 Points
Powerful nose. High alcohol. Very tannic. Didn't seem to resolve after 2 hours in a decanter.
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11/4/2012 - grenache lover wrote: 91 Points
Lots of sediment. Very clean nose of black fruit over a very tame oak in an elegant and balanced pack. Tannins are tamed by the 9 years that have passed after the vintage, and the mouth is balanced with excellent fruit and acidity, with excellent precission. A very good wine that has some future ahead and, while not my favorite style of wine at 15% alcohol, it was the perfect wine for a cold autumn Sunday night.
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10/3/2012 - Fatty Cat wrote: 94 Points
BBQ event early Oct 2012: deep purple color; not decanted, needed about 2 hours to fully open up; intense melange of cherry, blackberry, cranberry, blueberry, mulberry plus vanilla and wood; extremely full body and tanninic; smooth, lush texture.
Give this wine time to breathe. If you drink him too early after opening you waste much pleasure potential.
Reminded me strongly of a Numanthia.
15 vol.% alcohol!
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7/15/2012 - CabIsKing wrote: 91 Points
Nice nose of licorice, blueberries, and spice. Showed really nice complexity and balance with a nice long finish. I would say that it is drinking near if not at it's peak. Really nice wine.
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6/24/2012 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good wine and elegant. I drank this wine four years ago and it was disappointing. Some years in the bottle made it better. He combined well with the steak. Recommend.
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5/11/2012 - Old Vino wrote: 91 Points
no notes at the time of drinking - pleasant. Lots of sediment needs few hours decanting
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4/14/2012 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
In the bouquet a pleasant bit of barnyard. On the palate a good concentration with spices like clove, dark fruits, creamy a firm amount of acidity and soft tannin. A bit alcoholic in the finish. This bottle was completely ready. (See also my previous note.)
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4/10/2012 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Barnyard, licorice, raspberries and cherries in the bouquet. On the palate very complete and many layers, good fruits still, oak, creamy and a beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity. Ready now and a future of several years.
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3/12/2012 - eBoB Likes this wine: 93 Points
A Coruna > Wine Bar: A Mundia 40Eur
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3/7/2012 - Arthur4wine wrote: 93 Points
Incredible bottle of wine, I read the Cellartracker comments before opening it. I was looking for a wine that could stand up to grilled baby back ribs. It did that and more. There were a couple of comments suggesting that the wine was too tannic. My guests and I did not see that. It certainly has strong tannins which give the wine structure and backbone, but not too much. A great wine and a great evening.
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12/15/2011 - uncle al wrote: 92 Points
Big wine with dark fruit and some chocolate. Slightly tannic but should improve over time. A fairly typical big wine from Toro, Spain.
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9/8/2011 - Henman wrote: 87 Points
Decanted over one hour.This was quite a tannic beast.On the nose vibrant dark fruit,blackberries and blueberries.Good and vibrant dark fruit on the palate with some chocolate and oaky notes but delivering tons of dusty tannins as well.Like sandpaper was coating my mouth.Incredible.Overall, monolithic and not very interesting,and therefore a disappointment.
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8/31/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 90 Points
similar to prior notes. could be from anywhere but solid bottle of wine.
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2/16/2011 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
Herbs and maybe cigar and spice on the nose - not much in the way of fruit except maybe some blackcurrants... On the palate (second day after opening) firstly a refreshing light red fruits, good acidity, then underpinned by ripe tannins and the dark red fruits, reinforced by the slight bitterness of liquorice. Long, tasty and well balanced.
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1/17/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 91 Points
very nice and big wine but agree with other users that didnt have a lot of "terrior" and could have been from a few different places it seemed. dark chocolate and fruit. nice nose. decanted for 4-5 hours.
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12/31/2010 - Jazzman wrote:
Just opened...initially the nose is like big black and blue fruit pie. Blackberries, blueberries, pie crust, with faint vegetal notes on the nose. Same fruits on the palate, but with a wonderful layer of chocolate in the middle and on the finish. Just before posting this I take another whiff and catch wonderful roasted meat component.
This is incredible...and it just opened. I'm sure it will disappear way too quickly.
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10/23/2010 - lostgeographer wrote: 86 Points
I sold most of my case to a local wineshop but kept 1 to see if my estimation improved over time. I probably should have waited longer but I can report that while I see why people do like this wine, it is just not for me. The fruit and alcohol are big and while there is some lovely complexity here (smoky wood and long blueberry flavours on the finish), it just didn't feel very Spanish. I drank it with an Aussie friend and no surprise he loved it.
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9/15/2010 - Biglama wrote: 91 Points
over twee avonden gedronken, 2de avond was de wijn op z'n best. Rode kleur, wat strenge neus, donker fruit, chocolade, houtgebruik, smaak is stevig met inhoud, concentratie, later meer elegantie en drinkbaarheid, wel iets bij eten
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7/30/2010 - Miceri wrote: 92 Points
Dark red; lovely fruit, ripe dark berries, chocolate; very tannic (too much), very strong/powerful, deep/very concentrated, slightly burnt, good structure; very good, but the tannin and burntness takes it a bit down as it appears too overwhelming at least at this stage, perhaps time will resolve?
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7/12/2010 - Strikermax wrote: 94 Points
Een knaller! Vette geur van eikenhout, zwart fruit en espresso-koffie. In de smaak vooral zwart, fruit koffie en chocolade, zoet en vrij sterk. Flinke afdronk, tannines zijn duidelijk aanwezig, maar niet overheersend.
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5/25/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 95 Points
Tasting with Joe Gallo (Buffalo, NY): Color: Violet
Smell: roasted coffee, dark fruits, smoky notes, vanilla, fig, cinnamon, and a bit of char
Taste: Chocolate, dark fruits, blueberry, cedar, plum, and graphite
Overall: This wine was tasted side by side from a Riedel Tempranillo glass (95 points) and from a regular Riedel Bordeaux glass (92 points). The marked difference in the nose and palate presence was breathtaking. I am officially sold on yet another glass in the Riedel line-up.
With all that said, this was a wine that moved me and brought me back to the present place and time. For me, it's easy to get lost, sidetracked, or distracted in blind tastings. Yet this wine demanded the complete attention of everyone in the room...and that to me is a hallmark of a classic wine.
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5/4/2010 - redrhonewine wrote: 92 Points
Quite good. Nice mineral laced dark fruits and hint of cedar and wild game meat. Very good. Tannins integrated nicely.
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4/16/2010 - Grape_ape wrote:
Dark color, aromatic nose. Lots of dark and red fruits, with a good amount of well integrated oak contributing coffee, mocha notes. Only had a small glass at a tasting but would have enjoyed tasting through a full bottle.
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4/15/2010 - jjoyce wrote:
WLTV Forum Offline Montclair (Table 8, Montclair, NJ): Nice fruity nose without being too candy-like. Smooth mouthfeel with lightly drying tannis. Nice table wine, if a bit one-dimensional on the mid-palate.
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12/16/2009 - Greg_O wrote: 91 Points
Olive, coconut, and chocolate on the nose. Graphite, ink and dark fruit.
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11/30/2009 - Route 90 wrote: 89 Points
This is a dense, ripe beast of a Spanish wine. I have to say that the oak is very well integrated but I'm assuming the 2003-ness of this wine strips away some of the more subtle notes that you'd expect from this bottle. Although I found some finesse in the glass there wasn't much in terms of definition. Not much spice to talk about and pretty much dark, forward fruit. I enjoyed this bottle but it underdelivered. The tannin structure was late and abrupt and not well integrated. It played the part of a tannin that could age well but the lack of acidity said otherwise. Drink it up and move on to the 2004's if you've got them.
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11/25/2009 - Goldstone wrote: 88 Points
Splash decanted and left for 30 minutes then drank over 2 hours. Blood red colour that is totally opaque except surprisingly transparent at the edge. Nose of warm and welcoming rich caramel, sun-warmed tarmac, very ripe sweet dark plums, some hibiscus and autumn woodsmoke. Palate is very sweet and unctuous red fruits on the front end with very noticeable but pleasant new French oak and a velvety mouthfeel moving into a ruggedly drying tannic and cinnamon sticks back end. Toothcoating, rich and extracted but not overly so. Good length and some resonance in the head on the finish. Still very young yet approachable, but I'm not sure that this style of winemaking will support longevity or maturity into something more complex. My biggest criticism is that it is almost completely terrior-less.........tasted blind I would probably have guessed it as an almost-super Tuscan or a well-made Argentinian or perhaps a high-end Australian Shiraz.....or....
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11/17/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 90 Points
Deep rich expressive blueberries, bitter sweet chocolate and extremely dark roast espresso.
Layers of highly extracted fruit attack the palate with more deep blue fruit, scorched earth and dark chocolate.
Lots of grip on the finish with lively and drying tannins structure.
Very nice, still needs some time to integrate.
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10/7/2009 - Biglama wrote: 90 Points
rode kleur, aardse neus, grondig, diep rood fruit, houtje, smaak is krachtig en goed drogend, stevig glas met aangename accenten, strak geheel
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9/4/2009 - Capt M wrote: 95 Points
This is one gorgeous wine. Not as dark in color as the '04 or '05 but boy.. This is one polished and educated bottle of wine. I love this wine!
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8/9/2009 - dje69 wrote: 90 Points
Whilst true to its DO (and country)- traditional style, oaky for sure - it wasn't over sweet like so many. I liked it a lot (it is a Vega Sicilia wine, after all) good concentration, dark fruits, blackberries, fine tannins. Ripe but classy, notably more balanced than other Toros I've had. As a food wine, better with the cheese than the roast meat - as you'd expect, perhaps - a hot region wine leaning towards a port sweetness but matched with some french oak vanilla. It all adds up to a great cocktail wine, although a slow-cooked-fabada, long on the morcilla, sounds like a great match too.
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7/12/2009 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 91 Points
2003 Bodegas Pintia (Vega-Sicilia) Toro Pintia (Spanje, Castilla y León, Toro) Kleur: Diep donkerrood Aroma / bouquet: Aanzet is direct rijp en gebrand, gedroogd donker fruit, hout / vanille (Frans eiken), mokka / chocola en vooral koffieboontjes. Smaak / Afdronk: Zoetige aanzet, mist de zuren maar biedt wel een prachtige structuur en concentratie, krachtige maar boterzachte tannines. In de mond ook chocola en mokka. Enorme lengte, wat mij betreft nèt even te alcoholisch. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooi glas, wel erg veel alcohol. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 91/100
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4/29/2009 - bwillia wrote: 90 Points
Young and tight but with six hours air it began to reveal the future with some beautiful nuance. But right now you have to put up with some serious structure that detracts from the experience. Patience, patience!
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1/25/2009 - bonjovibon wrote: 88 Points
We didn't decant it with enough time but after an hour it started to open up. What we found is strong tannins with blackberries and plum, a little cassis note but perhaps the oak covers the fruit. Let in celllar 2 more years and we'll see what happen.
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1/20/2009 - chilepepper wrote: 91 Points
Wonderfully balanced wine. Nose of dark fruits that screams a Toro wine. On the palate, definitely tannic, but with mouth coating flavors of blackberry and vanilla oak. Full bodied and somewhat of a restrained monster. Style not for everyone and if the oak took a bit of a back seat, I'd rate it higher.
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10/10/2008 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 88 Points
Tasting with TheDumbPhase: Tasted blind:
med+ ruby in the glass.
Nose: mellow oak, warm climate dark fruit.
Palate: med+/full body. med- acid. Sticky tannins. Flutter of pyrazines. Fruit falls off relatively quickly.
My guess: Spanish blend with maybe some cab/cab franc. (don't know why I went with Spain - probably just the oak on the nose and palate).
Joe's guess: California cabernet, ~$30's, Napa. (acid and tannins too low for spain).
After a bit of time in the decanter, the tannins seemed bigger.
rp92+, st 90
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11/3/2007 - Vinho wrote: 90 Points
NM. Tostado excessivo, taninos muito duros e secos, ainda por resolver. Embora possa melhorar com o tempo, hoje é um vinho com uma rusticidade que o coloca num nível abaixo das demais safras. 90(+?)pts. O.
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9/19/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 93 Points
deep garnet. Definitiely New World. Deep blacker fruits. Plums, tobacco. Others mention oak, I'm not as overwhelmed, but it is there. Very good potential, but drinking well now.
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5/19/2007 - Vinho wrote: 91 Points
Aromas intensos de fruta madura, tabaco, frutos negros, madeira e especiarias. Taninos muito marcantes e secos, média acidez, com grande concentração de fruta. Tostado forte bastante persistente. Final amargo, lembrando tabaco e café. O/E.
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5/16/2007 - gorm wrote: 91 Points
Gourmet dinner and tasting at ProActive: Dark almost black. Loads of "turkish pepper" (the danish candy "tyrkisk peber" is a very strong bonbon with pepper, licorice, salt etc.) on the nose. Tastewise it has some sweet and intense red berries, but also loads of spices and a peculiar amount of more exotic fruit. Turns somewhat bitter and alcoholic in the aftertaste. Clearly a "victim" of the hot year, I liked the 2001 much better.
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3/19/2007 - losvinhos wrote: 91 Points
Confirmando impressões anteriores, revela boa concentração de fruta sobremadura, intensidade aromática apresentando o café, o tostado e a ameixa e na boca bom corpo com média acidez, bons taninos e amargor final. Concentrado, intenso, encorpado. Parece ter bom potencial para evoluir e melhorar. Excelente.
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2/23/2007 - Medo wrote: 93 Points
That was one of my wines I want to try to see what Toro is about:
At the beginning the nose was a bit shy, but after intensive swirling it opens up to a quite lively, perfumed and "crushed blackfruits" like nose. It reminds my of a good Shiraz, but it is 100% Tinta de Torro. The mouthfeel is great. Silky tannis with some blackberries and plum, tabacco/leather flavors and nearly full bodied. The finish is looong and fruity. Very modern in style. Let this sleep for another 3-5 years or enjoy this right now with a decent air time. 92-93 pts.
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2/4/2007 - Lordswood wrote: 90 Points
Big deep dark and long. Rich ripe tannins but overall far too young for my taste. This will be a blockbuster and I suspect my scores for it will improve - in the meantime, try one by all means as it is drinkable, but try to leave for at least 3 years for everything to come nto focus.
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2/4/2007 - losvinhos wrote: 91 Points
Vertical Pintia (Aguzzo - SP): Logo no nariz se sente a concentração de fruta sobremadura e a madeira. Aromas de ameixa, tostado, café e ponta de especiarias. Na boca mais pesado que os demais, com a fruta madura se sobressaindo misturada com madeira intensa que traz especiarias e leve amargor. Média acidez, taninos e corpo macios e boa persistência. Excelente.
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2/3/2007 - Vinho wrote: 91 Points
Pintia - vertical (01-03) (Aguzzo): Misto de fruta madura e tostado intenso, com madeira bem mais evidente. Leve traço mineral. Textura sedosa, encorpado, muito extraído, com fruta abundante e amargor médio. Menos acidez que os demais. Não arrisco palpite sobre potencial de evolução. E.
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2/1/2007 - hans1 wrote: 94 Points
What a surprise ! A bit heavy and shy on the nose to begin with, but give it an hour or so and you will have a well balanced wine on your palette. Nice and friuty with balanced tannis that seems to me that it also can keep for another 10 years !!
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10/7/2006 - AtlantaBill wrote: 88 Points
Deep. deep color-almost black.. In your face aroma as soon as the cork came out of the bottle. Earthy aroma of dark fruit in the glass. Earthy cherry flavor with HEAVY tannins. Very long finish.
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10/2/2006 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 90 Points
A sweet red fruit nose with some fine oak. It feels really velvety on the attack. This is full and open with really good character. Big tannins make themselves felt on the finish. Lovely now, but no rush whatsoever.
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7/10/2006 - dougsmith wrote: 92 Points
Deep ruby color. Intense nose of black fruit (ripe blackberries, plums), spice, licorice and floral notes. Really voluptuous, with dominant fruit. After about an hour of oxygen some cocoa notes also appeared. On the palate it is full bodied, very ripe and juicy flavors; relatively low acid with youthful tannin and long finish. 15% abv. is well covered by fruit. This is quite similar to a good Shiraz.
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4/25/2006 - obiscoito wrote:
Deep purple in color. The nose is smokey cherry with some minerality. medium high acidity with firm big tannins. Huge fruit appears to be hidden behind the tannins with minerals, cherry and cinnamon making it to the forefront. Long ways to go on this wine. 4.5/5
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