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.
Deep, somewhat translucent and still surprisingly youthful blood-red color. The nose feels characterful and somewhat rustic with aromas of wizened figs and sweet balsamic tones, some bretty notes of barnyard, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light volatile notes of medicinal ether, sweet hints of ripe boysenberries and dark raisiny fruit, a touch of dusty earth and a whiff of dried flowers. The wine feels ripe, warm and somewhat fat on the palate with a very full body and juicy, slightly funky flavors of wizened dark fruits, some raisiny tones, a little bit of dusty earth, light barnyardy notes of brett, a hint of prunes and a touch of phenolic spice. The wine is quite modest in acidity with rather ripe and resolved medium tannins. The finish is big, chewy and quite warm with moderately grippy tannins and a long aftertaste of raisins and prunes, some bitter notes of phenolic spice, a little bit of bretty barnyard, light oxidative notes of soy sauce, a sweet hint of toasty, dark-toned oak spice and a touch of balsamic VA.
Unlike any other Numanthia wine we tasted, this wine had an obvious hint of bretty funk that added a nice and distinctive streak of rustic complexity to the wine. However, this funky complexity didn't manage to save the wine from its otherwise too ripe, soft and ponderous overall character. Although this wine didn't seem as tired and oxidative as some of its peers from this same period - on the contrary, for the most part this wine seemed relatively youthful for its age - it seemed softer and more blowzy than most of the Numanthias we tasted. With this much body and sweet, concentrated old-vine fruit, a wine would need a lot of acidity and tannic structure to come across as firm and balanced - unfortunately, this vintage was badly lacking in both. While this was aromatically a bit more interesting than most other vintages, otherwise the wine left quite a disappointing impression.
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Splendid bottle. Slox ox for several hours. Burgundy body with toffee edges. Pinot noir thin in appearance. Nose is assertive, fresh shoe leather, cranberry, red cherry, cinnamon whiskey barrel, caramel. Palate is silky and exuberant, there's tannin but no grit or separation whatsoever. Lovely fruit, mature but not past its prime in any way. Very long finish.
Drank along with the 2000 which was more powerful but not as elegant. In the end, we could not say that we prefer one over the other. Both were amazing and exceeded expectations.
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Made from old (70-100 years), ungrafted vines planted at an elevation of 2300 feet, yields were a minuscule 1.5 tons of fruit per acre. The wine was aged 18 months in 100% new French oak, with malolactic in barrel, and was bottled without fining or filtration. Decanted of the moderate sediment and allowed to breathe.
Aromas still show intensity along with the development and the evolution of this wine. Complex scents of leather, old hardbound books and tobacco wrap around the notes of dried fig, plum, dried cherry, coffee, dried rose and old/stale potpourri, earth, pencil box, cedar, spice and hints of cocoa powder and soy sauce. On the palate this full-bodied wine still exudes power and luxury, like a high-end sports car. Tannins are firm and though settled in from age still quite gripping. Acidity is structured and provides a backbone for the wine. Complex and evolved flavors show dried fruits of cherry, cranberry and fig with black plum tones, dried rose, tobacco, leather, herbs, cocoa, pencil, earth and soy sauce. The finish is long and effortless.
An amazing showing from this vintage that still has quite a bit of life left in it.
Drank 1/2 last night and 1/2 tonight. It was delicious. Great nose, smooth tannins and plenty of fruit. Sadly it was my last bottle of this vintage. Look forward to the 2000 etc.
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No formal notes. Obviously a very modern style (back then), but quite drinkable now. The oak is still present but softened and integrated. Very dark-toned: chocolate, dark cherries, figs, cinnamon. Velvety palate. Good length.
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Chocolate and oak/wood on the nose, the palate is more complex with figs, prunes, dark berries, leather, general sweetness, licorice and vanilla notes, oak is still clearly present, very modern style as expected, still fairly young and tight, can be consumed now but no need to hurry.
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This is beautiful; in a very good place. I think Loren Sonkin summed it up nicely in his several notes. I will just add that this has a lot of lovely aged character now. It's in its sweet spot and will be even better in another few years. Unfortunately for me, this was my last bottle. Very memorable and one of the best wines I have had in the past several months.
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Drank the 98 and 99 side by side. The 98 is clearly the better wine, with it's earthiness, and was preferred by all six tasters. The 99 was more modernistic, with oak and less sophistication. A fun pair, ready to drink, but with decades of life for well stored bottles.
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Opened and aired for about 90 min. Beautiful and balanced. Medium body with fruit a little faded and secondary characteristics mingling in. Must have been very powerful in youth (never had a young one) as body and finish mellowed with time compared to initial pour indicating that probably at or just past peak. Went great with salmon so more delicate then reports from youth. Just a great bottle with great friends.
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This is still drinking very well and in fact, with a good amount of youth still left. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is nice. While this had a ton of oak in its youth, that has mostly, not completely faded. There is also some nice cherry and dark cherry fruit with a bit of dried fruit. On the palate, the fruit has integrated well with the tannins. Slight oak. Juicy acidity. Still has time left before going downhill.
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I had very low expectations for this, as it was such a modern wine. However, I was pleasantly surprised. While it still has some weight, the oak has fully integrated and shows leather, forest, and dark fruit. Reminds me of a rioja at the same age.
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Popped and poured. Medium red color, a little muddy. On the nose, some tar and leather along with cherry cough syrup and eucalyptus, with a hint of maple syrup. On the palate, sour red cherries on the attack, with a little caramelly oak, tobacco and tannins kicking in on the mid-palate through a medium long finish. Nice balance of fruit, tannins and acid. This wine still has some youth and plenty of structure to age for awhile longer, though I don't think it gets any better from here. Solid wine drinking well. 5+13+17+7.
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Medium body. Dried flowers. Good bit of sediment - clogged my coravin! Leather. Tar. Bing cherry. Unlike others, this feels v much in its prime. Reminds me of a pauillac
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Some Tempranillo at Cooking School (ICASI): Purple in color, ruby at the rim, with some browning. Nice nose with cherries and a slight citrus note. On the palate, this drinks as a more traditional old Rioja (I know it is from Toro). Cherries, dried cherries, slight drying/tobacco taste. The tannins are mostly resolved and there is little sign of oak. IIRC, these were oak bombs in their youth. I think slightly past peak but this should have at least 5 more years for good bottles. Nice showing. Would work well at the dinner table now.
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Double decanted; light-to-moderate sediment. First pour two hours later: Nice ruby color with slight bricking at the edges. Muted aromas of dark fruit. Full-bodied dark fruit on the palate, well balanced by acids. Tannins have resolved. Moderate length finish. My last bottle, but if I had more I would drink them soon.
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What a disappointment! Had expected fantastic and mature 92-93 p Numanthia but got a very acidic wine with very little tannins and almost no fruit left. Must be a bad bottle, maybe not properly stored (bought it at Golden Vintage in BCN a couple of years ago).
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Suddenly drinking very well with lots of structure left to keep this for another decade or two. Tannin structure of very old wines. Powerful, but well balanced with good acidity.
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This bottle fully mature- nice but tipping over a bit especially when I think back to the bottle a couple of years ago (purchased at same time, stored the same way, excellent condition)- all integrated, tertiary cigar tobacco - drink up...
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Deep, unevolved ruby. Creamy red Garnacha fruit. Medium weight, moderate wood, a bit of herbal elements, glossy finish with low tannin at this point. Attractive, New World style wine that was infinitely more interesting and drinkable than its 1998 counterpart we recently had that was swamped by the resiny oak.
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Score could be higher but the 95 Pesquera was just outstanding and everything else seem not as good. Still good for many years I think, not fully integrated yet.
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Drinking extremely well now. Still has formidable structure, but has softened enough recently to become very enjoyable. Velvety and dense fruit up front, with chocolate and licorice in the back, and plenty of supporting acidity. Lovely.
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Drank over 3 hours. Dense dark nose of black fruit, black licorice, cedar, earth and alcohol. Seemed a bit out of balance and pruiney on the palate. Thin. I had this several years ago and this was richer and more harmonious. Does not appear to be aging well. Tannic finish.
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2 hour decant. Old world charm, cassis, stone and dry dark fruit on the nose. Plenty of life on the mipalate, revealing depth and layers as time passed. Hearty, coating tannins on the long finish. Delicious. 92
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Drinking beautifully. Excellent structure and depth, and the potent oak has finally integrated fairly well. A classic, and should keep well for quite some time.
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Nice round fruity nose with spice undertones. Taste is immediately peppery, much like a zinfandel, which is followed by a bit of earth and then lots of outstanding fruit. This bottle was opened three hours prior to tasting. 11/12. The following day this wine is still drinking fantastic. The pepper more subdued and the fruit more pronounced.
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Mix of black and red fruits. Some barnyard. Vanilla, glycerin. This hinted at greatness but the alcohol and oak were just too out of balance on the finish. Still a great drink.
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well, if there ever was a poster child for letting a wine age, this is it... i've had this three times previously and every time it had been too tannic, too oaky, disjointed, and difficult to drink no matter how much air it got. tonight with a splash decant and about an hour in the decanter, this wine is really delicious..... full bodied, aromatic, funky in a good way, boysenberry and plum notes, integrated oak and a long lingering finsih. i'm impressed. this wine is still young but just reaching its best drinking window. i have 1/2 a case of the 2004 but haven't yet tried it... maybe in a few years (this one is nearly 13 years old so i'll wait 'til 2017+ to avoid disappointment).
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Coffee, blackberries, and tons of cocoa on the nose. More coffee & dark fruit on the palate, but a little on the sour side. Not normally my style, but this is drinking really well right now.
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BITTER AND TANIC. Decanted 2 hours & drank over a 7 hour evening. Showed at its best between hours 2 – 4 when the aromatic concentration was at its peak. The nose fell of pretty sharply after hour 4.
To me this was really a treat for the nose during that prime drinking window, but a seemed very hollow on the palate from beginning to end. Showed full-tilt aromatic complexity; with blackberry, dark chocolate prominence, and dusty/minty undertones. And although the smooth and subtle remnants of aged tannins provide perfect texture, there is virtually no sweet fruit here to balance it out. It’s more like drinking a melted, 85% cocoa, dark chocolate bar that’s been ground up with some grape skin and stems.
Fans of “bitter” will have big love for this one, but I am a milk chocolate man, and to me this seems really out of balance.
This is a perfect example of tannins outlasting fruit. Drink now while there are still some redeeming qualities; or wait a few years if you like the experience of nice-smelling battery acid. 92 pts for nose, 84 pts for taste; 88 pts total
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medium body and smooth mouth feel; good cherry, dark raspberry, leather, minor menthol; served with tapas and i frankly didnt notice the tannins; more elegant than expected
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Agree with MJ Faulkner and Patrick, as this tempranillo has aged quite well. Not as big and powerful as I expected. Blackberries and cassis are the predominant flavors, and the tannins in my bottle (one of only two I have, unfortunately) had softened over the 8 years of good cellaring. While some commentators give this vintage another 4-5 years of life expectancy, I think it's at its peak so to my fellow owners I say, "open 'er up" because you have yourself some real enjoyment in store.
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Interesting to rate following a big '03 shiraz and a lovely '01 CdP in the past week. This Toro starts with simmering blackberry aromas with wafts of spice, wet leather and menthol. Rich and mouth-filling, the dark fruit has integrated with nary a hint of sweetness. Acidity and tannins provide the framework leading to a moderately long finish. Tannins are still a bit firm and a touch domineering; may dominate in a few years if other elements fade too quickly. Fine on its own, but a bit better with food.
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Very good but I expected a little more from this wine. Some nice notes of black cherry, black currant, tobacco and cedar with ample acidity but finish tailed off fairly quick. Perhaps a better food wine than on its own.
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Still Amazes me that this rather affordable Tempranillo has aged and matured so wonderfully. Tannins are still integrating and structure is becoming more balanced every year I have tried this ... still improving since last time I tasted .. would give this a 92 upgrade from a 91 2 years ago. Fruit notations of Black Cherry/Blackberry with subtle hints of pepper and perhaps bitters. Wish I had a few more to play with and see where this goes although I would imagine we are at the top of the curve here. Will stock a few more of the 2004 which will soon be drinking nicely.
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Good for what it is. Dark fruit. Spice. Coffee. Some leather. Nose and palate really come alive the 2nd day. More complexity and balance than last time. Oak much more subdued and better integrated. Pretty long finish. Very full-bodied. Tannins are still really song. Not sure if there's enough fruit there to keep up. Probably got a few good years left, but (with a long, healthy decant), I'd drink this sooner rather than later.
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"Simple" Midweek Dinner (Chinese New Year Edition) (La Bracceria, Greendale Avenue): This had been opened for quite awhile by the time we got to it. Really nice. This was a musclebound wine that was world's apart from the lithely elegant Rioja we had next to this - hard to believe that both are made from the same grape! The purple colour on this one gave a fair indication on what to expect. Beautiful nose, with a real hedonistic forwardness to it - showing a whole ripe, rich melange of raspberries, kirsch and creme de cassis along with spices, a sprig of menthol and creamy, cocoa and woody oak with whiffs of cigarette smoke floating around. Palate was dense and massive, with bog Ribena and plum flavours with lots of spice and sweet anise notes. In spite of its size though, the wine never felt overblown, with the flavours all reined in by a lovely sense of structure. Finish was long, replete with peppery spice and clove notes. A really interesting wine, very delicious, and great with grilled tenderloin. I suspect it will benefit from 3-4 more years in the bottle.
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Beautiful brick red, transparent at the rim. Somewhat subdued nose. No question that this is a modern styled wine, but it is done very well. Some cherry fruit, cedar, cinnamon, a bit of cognac, tobacco, clove, black pepper, tannins are still a bit firm on the finish with balancing acidity. No noticeable oak. A layered complex wine. Long nice finish that expresses that mature tempranillo tea note. My last bottle. I am sure this will still be drinking well in 5-10 years. I dig this wine because it has fruit, complexity and structure.
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Decanted 5 hours. Tannins much more resolved compared with previous bottle (no decant last time). Interesting when juxtaposed with 06 Clio consumed same evening- both big fruit bombs, but the Numanthia has an underlying complexity that's Old World in character. Tobacco and leather- almost Bordeaux-like. WOTN for the group.
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Delightful cherry, vanilla nose with a hint of spice. Rounded, elegant texture, well balanced, cherries and raspberries, hint of leather, not especially deep but very nice.
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(from Magnum) This opened a bit off kilter. It showed some stewed / raisin notes. With an hour of air, it really came together to show great sweetness, a medium to full bodied personality and very good length. A big wine, but not heavy or palate draining. Very exciting stuff. (95)
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Numanthia Seminar (Binny's South Loop, chicago IL): nose: balanced, lovely, and elegant nose with tones of dark red cherries, black currants, leather, dried florals, bits of smokey tones and even some dried berry tones. Real good depth that really draws you in
taste: has a nice nuanced character to it backed up by a elegant medium/full feel with medium+ acidity and tones of dark red cherries, leather, dried florals, dried berries and some smokey tones. There are some real sneaky tannins that creep up on the back end and make themselves known more on each taste
overall: A real lovely wine right now in a good place. Seems like this would go great with food and is a wine that I would like to spend time with, this came from a magnum so it was very fresh and lively
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Bodega Numanthia Seminar (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Tasted from a Magnum. Showing really nicely. A few years in the bottle has done wonders on this juice. So refined and elegant. Has characteristics of a gorgeous Bordeaux. Medium dark ruby. Opaque at the center but showing signs of age only around the rim -- and only slightly. Nose reminds me a bit of a California Cult Cabernet (like the 2005) showing a few years under its belt. Nose is a bit restrainted but has elegance and finesse. Fabric softener, baked ginger bread and soft cinnamon spice also on the nose. Rustic rastpberries on the palate with more baking spice, leather and refined ruby red fruit. Flowers and cigar box also on the back end. Spot on balance in the finish. I seriously enjoyed this wine. This has another decade of life, but it sure is singing out of the 1.5L today. I wonder if I would have enjoyed this bottling as much if I had tasted it upon release...?
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Passover visit to Mom's house. Dark purple. Looking over the existing CellarTracker notes it looks like I may be out of sync with others on this wine. While this full bodied wine still had lots of heavy dark fruit, it also had bitter tannins and tasted a little unbalanced. Not a bad wine by any means, but hardly a great wine either. Nothing says Spanish and nothing says Old World. It does taste like it had great raw materials but that they were manipulated, and not for the better. 50+11+11+7+7 = 86
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Dark purple. Nose dominated by cedar/oak notes. Big tannins even at 10 years out, but in harmony with the relatively mellow fruit. My first taste of the 99, not as fruit forward as say the 03. I will probably drink my remaining bottles in the next year or so- I'm not convinced that this will improve, and in fact would guess that the tannins will begin to dominate.
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A very nice mature tempranillo at its peak. The tannins are still pretty firm, but I think the fruit is at its peak, if you wait for the tannins to mellow I think the fruit will have subsided too much. Cedar, tobacco, raspberry kirsch, framed in firm tannins and good acids.
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Drank alongside the 98 in a blind Spanish tasting. Nice, but not showing nearly as well as the 98. Deep dark plums on the nose, with a strong current of white limestone in the back ground. Smokier and spicier than the 98, but also more closed and restrained. Nice spicy fruit on the palate, with the same multi-layered texture, but even the texture of the wine was more subdued. Nice earthiness on the finish. I’m going to hold the bottles I have left for quite a while and see what they become.
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Unbelievable. Explosive nose of black cherries, raspberries, anise, coffee, flowers, earth, and oak. Palate unfolds into a melange of red and black fruit, with hints of anise, graphite/pencil lead, and spicy oak. Finish goes on forever. This is a masterpiece.
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Numanthia at the Masters (Ken's): Quiet on the nose. Brawny and tannic on the richly fruited palate. Bold flavors are persistent but not delineated --- needs time to meld together. 2-3 points of upside once this integrates further.
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Masters and Numanthias (Northbrook, IL): Dark red/purple colour. A little tight on the nose with aromas of coffee, vanilla, plums, blackberries and sweet oak. Dense and lush on the palate with more dark fruits, cocoa and oak, fairly soft tannins and a medium-long finish.
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Good Fruit but hugh tannin. Obviously very young but not sure which will win out, the fruit or the tannin. If the fruit wins, this will merit a somewhat higher score.
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Still a little cool when I drank it. Decanted for 3 hours. Pretty yummy. Loads of rich chocolate flavors. Surpisingly still fairly tannic. Even left some for the following day, and it still had a grip. Not sure about the price point. I liked it, but at $45, I'd have to think about buying more.
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This wine was singing tonight. Powerful and deep. All the oak fully integrated now. No reason to wait on these any more. Will hold for a long time. WOTN vs. '02 Mas Doix, '97 Pasanau, '00 Artadi Pagos Viejos and '99 Flor de Pingus.
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A big, rich wine. High alcohol. Aromas are a bit tame and basic: dark fruit, oak, maybe a hint of chocolate. Palate delivers the same: blackberry, blueberry, plum, and sweet vanilla oak. Concentrated. Good attack and mid-palate, but the (medium-short) finish is a little disappointing. Lots of tannins on the finish. Not a lot of complexity here, but very pleasurable and comforting. Not much earth. No real sense of place. An enjoyable, very well-made wine, but perhaps not my preferred style. Definitely got better with time in the decanter and the glass, but nothing new or more complex really emerged. Just got smoother, richer and more balanced. The tannins do not seem to have yet integrated well. They're still a bit hard. Overall impression is that this wine is still too young. However, I made the mistake of not decanting for long enough. In hindsight, I would say that at this stage, the wine would benefit from a minimum of 2 hours decanting. 4 would probably have been better. I am going to wait at least another couple of years before I crack open the 2nd bottle.
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Lots of spice and oak with dark fruits. Big and tannic on the palate. Astringent wood influence with green olive type notes - Spain's answer to Silver Oak. Enjoyable, but, while quite primary, hard to see this ever being a complete, balanced wine.
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notes of smoke, cherry, licorice and tobacco. Silky tannins well rounded even a touch creamy. As it opened it continued to please. I don't think it has a good QPR.
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With endocrine fellows as part of Spanish tasting. 1-2 hour decant but wrong glasses and generally chaotic. Oak eventually settled down. Interesting constrast w/ some of the more traditiional wines.
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Ruby red to the rim, opens up quickly with a strong dark fruity nose, some tobacco. Firm tannins with a round flavor and a medium length finish featuring some cherry, licorice and tobacco. This is a robust, well structured wine with pleasing fruit and acidity. Appearence (4/5), Nose (12/15), Taste and Finish (17/20), Potential (9/10)
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First of six bottles. With the Saturday Group. Wow! The nose shouted WINNER as soon as it was poured into the glasses (splash-decanted at home about 2 hours before going over to Al's). The color in the glass was dark purple. Wonderful smells of dark fruits, cassis and oak. Full body with good balance. Nice feel in the the mouth- rich and ripe. Everyone noted the great legs this wine had - lots of glycerin. Interestingly, none of the guys called it as tempernillo - most thought it had to be syrah or a big cab. Pablo commented that the first bottle he tried from his cellar a few years was a bit disjointed, but this bottle was definitely getting its stuff together. Try next bottle in another year or two. This baby will last a long time.
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Served with Lamb Korma, rice and Naan. This is 100% Tino de Tinto (Tempranillo) Decanted for an hour
'99 Numanthia, $39 In the glass.. tooth staining purple that resembles an Aussie Shiraz or Grenache On the nose.. Somewhat exotic with fir and balsa wood notes but not very expressive yet. On the palate.. Tannic at the beginning and the end but in between, rich with anise, plum and tart bing cherries. Good acidity and a long finish. Not as sweet as I expected but I imagine it is too youthful and tight to really show this. Very little oak evident despite it's new oak treatment. With the spicy Indian food.. it did quite well.
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Hubba hubba. Import bottle. First opened revealed a reduced, wet-sock nose, but with time this turned into a beautiful tempranillo with a noticeable tannic back-end. Great medium weight palate presence; this was nice, elegant, etc. Give the next bottl
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Purple/Ruby Red. Acidic and sweet aromas of wild fruits, cherries, cinnamon and peaches. Full body with great balance, but on the extreme side: young oak, high acidity and big tannins. Concentrated flavors of fruits with nice solid finish, and with a pleasant aftertaste. Overall, a tasty red wine, that though isn’t very complex or unique, is a pleasure to drink and enjoy. Needs around five years to fully glow, and will cellar well for 10 years more
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Dark blackish purplish ruby, tight on the nose & very reserved at first, after 2 hours opens up nicely, chocolate, spice, vanilla, toast, black fruit, B3+, A3, T4, very rich & deep, penetrating fruit, wall of rustic tannin clamps down & dries finish, very tannic fruit is a bit lost and subdued by oak, tannin, interesting, very masculine, day 2, aromas of tar spice, leather, oak, dark brambly fruit, chocolate, vanilla, still pretty tannic (4+) & tight but nice enough
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2/27/2023 - forceberry wrote: 81 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.
Deep, somewhat translucent and still surprisingly youthful blood-red color. The nose feels characterful and somewhat rustic with aromas of wizened figs and sweet balsamic tones, some bretty notes of barnyard, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light volatile notes of medicinal ether, sweet hints of ripe boysenberries and dark raisiny fruit, a touch of dusty earth and a whiff of dried flowers. The wine feels ripe, warm and somewhat fat on the palate with a very full body and juicy, slightly funky flavors of wizened dark fruits, some raisiny tones, a little bit of dusty earth, light barnyardy notes of brett, a hint of prunes and a touch of phenolic spice. The wine is quite modest in acidity with rather ripe and resolved medium tannins. The finish is big, chewy and quite warm with moderately grippy tannins and a long aftertaste of raisins and prunes, some bitter notes of phenolic spice, a little bit of bretty barnyard, light oxidative notes of soy sauce, a sweet hint of toasty, dark-toned oak spice and a touch of balsamic VA.
Unlike any other Numanthia wine we tasted, this wine had an obvious hint of bretty funk that added a nice and distinctive streak of rustic complexity to the wine. However, this funky complexity didn't manage to save the wine from its otherwise too ripe, soft and ponderous overall character. Although this wine didn't seem as tired and oxidative as some of its peers from this same period - on the contrary, for the most part this wine seemed relatively youthful for its age - it seemed softer and more blowzy than most of the Numanthias we tasted. With this much body and sweet, concentrated old-vine fruit, a wine would need a lot of acidity and tannic structure to come across as firm and balanced - unfortunately, this vintage was badly lacking in both. While this was aromatically a bit more interesting than most other vintages, otherwise the wine left quite a disappointing impression.
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1/12/2023 - t.c.green Likes this wine: 90 Points
with Landis family
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1/28/2022 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Splendid bottle. Slox ox for several hours. Burgundy body with toffee edges. Pinot noir thin in appearance. Nose is assertive, fresh shoe leather, cranberry, red cherry, cinnamon whiskey barrel, caramel. Palate is silky and exuberant, there's tannin but no grit or separation whatsoever. Lovely fruit, mature but not past its prime in any way. Very long finish.
Drank along with the 2000 which was more powerful but not as elegant. In the end, we could not say that we prefer one over the other. Both were amazing and exceeded expectations.
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1/17/2022 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Amber hue. Wet leather, tobacco, cedar and earth. Dark deep robust wine with juicy plum and blueberry. We would recommend drinking.
p.s. leftovers
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12/25/2021 - bjamesclark wrote: 95 Points
Made from old (70-100 years), ungrafted vines planted at an elevation of 2300 feet, yields were a minuscule 1.5 tons of fruit per acre. The wine was aged 18 months in 100% new French oak, with malolactic in barrel, and was bottled without fining or filtration.
Decanted of the moderate sediment and allowed to breathe.
Aromas still show intensity along with the development and the evolution of this wine. Complex scents of leather, old hardbound books and tobacco wrap around the notes of dried fig, plum, dried cherry, coffee, dried rose and old/stale potpourri, earth, pencil box, cedar, spice and hints of cocoa powder and soy sauce.
On the palate this full-bodied wine still exudes power and luxury, like a high-end sports car. Tannins are firm and though settled in from age still quite gripping. Acidity is structured and provides a backbone for the wine. Complex and evolved flavors show dried fruits of cherry, cranberry and fig with black plum tones, dried rose, tobacco, leather, herbs, cocoa, pencil, earth and soy sauce. The finish is long and effortless.
An amazing showing from this vintage that still has quite a bit of life left in it.
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10/21/2020 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank 1/2 last night and 1/2 tonight. It was delicious. Great nose, smooth tannins and plenty of fruit. Sadly it was my last bottle of this vintage. Look forward to the 2000 etc.
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8/31/2020 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Certainly not past with deep color and fruit. Drank 1/2 last night-looking forward to the rest tonight.
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12/14/2019 - igaf wrote:
No formal notes. Obviously a very modern style (back then), but quite drinkable now. The oak is still present but softened and integrated. Very dark-toned: chocolate, dark cherries, figs, cinnamon. Velvety palate. Good length.
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8/9/2019 - Lype Likes this wine:
Chocolate and oak/wood on the nose, the palate is more complex with figs, prunes, dark berries, leather, general sweetness, licorice and vanilla notes, oak is still clearly present, very modern style as expected, still fairly young and tight, can be consumed now but no need to hurry.
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5/3/2019 - kanowsky wrote: 96 Points
Still quite vibrant and alive. Pepper and a little smoky with a strong finish.
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2/28/2019 - Haggis Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is beautiful; in a very good place. I think Loren Sonkin summed it up nicely in his several notes. I will just add that this has a lot of lovely aged character now. It's in its sweet spot and will be even better in another few years. Unfortunately for me, this was my last bottle. Very memorable and one of the best wines I have had in the past several months.
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12/22/2018 - BradE wrote:
Drank the 98 and 99 side by side. The 98 is clearly the better wine, with it's earthiness, and was preferred by all six tasters. The 99 was more modernistic, with oak and less sophistication. A fun pair, ready to drink, but with decades of life for well stored bottles.
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7/15/2017 - otessler wrote: 95 Points
Opened and aired for about 90 min. Beautiful and balanced. Medium body with fruit a little faded and secondary characteristics mingling in. Must have been very powerful in youth (never had a young one) as body and finish mellowed with time compared to initial pour indicating that probably at or just past peak. Went great with salmon so more delicate then reports from youth. Just a great bottle with great friends.
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2/23/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
This is still drinking very well and in fact, with a good amount of youth still left. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is nice. While this had a ton of oak in its youth, that has mostly, not completely faded. There is also some nice cherry and dark cherry fruit with a bit of dried fruit. On the palate, the fruit has integrated well with the tannins. Slight oak. Juicy acidity. Still has time left before going downhill.
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2/10/2017 - wewillremain Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious and drinking perfectly.
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1/5/2017 - MObiker wrote:
I had very low expectations for this, as it was such a modern wine. However, I was pleasantly surprised. While it still has some weight, the oak has fully integrated and shows leather, forest, and dark fruit. Reminds me of a rioja at the same age.
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9/13/2016 - npettit wrote: 89 Points
Brown around the edges and little fruit left.
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4/30/2016 - DLT wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Medium red color, a little muddy. On the nose, some tar and leather along with cherry cough syrup and eucalyptus, with a hint of maple syrup. On the palate, sour red cherries on the attack, with a little caramelly oak, tobacco and tannins kicking in on the mid-palate through a medium long finish. Nice balance of fruit, tannins and acid. This wine still has some youth and plenty of structure to age for awhile longer, though I don't think it gets any better from here. Solid wine drinking well. 5+13+17+7.
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4/15/2016 - jcgarcia Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium body. Dried flowers. Good bit of sediment - clogged my coravin! Leather. Tar. Bing cherry. Unlike others, this feels v much in its prime. Reminds me of a pauillac
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2/28/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
Some Tempranillo at Cooking School (ICASI): Purple in color, ruby at the rim, with some browning. Nice nose with cherries and a slight citrus note. On the palate, this drinks as a more traditional old Rioja (I know it is from Toro). Cherries, dried cherries, slight drying/tobacco taste. The tannins are mostly resolved and there is little sign of oak. IIRC, these were oak bombs in their youth. I think slightly past peak but this should have at least 5 more years for good bottles. Nice showing. Would work well at the dinner table now.
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1/5/2016 - franinnyc Likes this wine: 89 Points
A bit past its prime. Brown at edges. Little fruit left. Lots of spice and licorice. Woodsy.
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12/10/2015 - KenK Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking well. Lots of dark black fruits with a nice earthy quality. Still has some good backbone and nice spice.
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12/3/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote:
HDH Holiday Wine Tasting (HDH Offices - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. All new oak aromas with sweet fruit flavors. Vanilla cola syrup to me.
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11/7/2015 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 91 Points
Double decanted; light-to-moderate sediment. First pour two hours later: Nice ruby color with slight bricking at the edges. Muted aromas of dark fruit. Full-bodied dark fruit on the palate, well balanced by acids. Tannins have resolved. Moderate length finish. My last bottle, but if I had more I would drink them soon.
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9/19/2015 - Zorg wrote:
What a disappointment! Had expected fantastic and mature 92-93 p Numanthia but got a very acidic wine with very little tannins and almost no fruit left. Must be a bad bottle, maybe not properly stored (bought it at Golden Vintage in BCN a couple of years ago).
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5/30/2015 - gthelen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Resolved tannins, long finish, long perfume nose, substantial but not overwhelming power. Very enjoyable.
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5/9/2015 - OldwineinVT Likes this wine: 90 Points
Purchased in 2002.
Color: very dark garnet/ruby with light brown edge. Viscous legs.
Nose: dark dried fruit with some spice notes -- nutmeg or cumin?
Body/flavor: full body. Dried fruits and berries with smoky notes. Nicely rounded with excellent acid balance.
Afternoon: short to medium finish. Lingering fruit
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3/24/2014 - eschuldt wrote: 93 Points
Potentially overwhelmed by drinking this in the hospital in celebration of our new daughter but this is drinking exceptionally well right now!
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3/15/2014 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 93 Points
Suddenly drinking very well with lots of structure left to keep this for another decade or two. Tannin structure of very old wines. Powerful, but well balanced with good acidity.
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2/18/2014 - Nanda wrote:
Numanthia Dinner with winemaker, Manuel Louzada (Ken's): Quiet nose - with aged fruit and cumin notes. Medium body palate that seems tired with low intensity and power. Seems on the down slope.
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2/8/2014 - jonnyoro wrote: 93 Points
This bottle fully mature- nice but tipping over a bit especially when I think back to the bottle a couple of years ago (purchased at same time, stored the same way, excellent condition)- all integrated, tertiary cigar tobacco - drink up...
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7/2/2013 - drwine2001 wrote:
Deep, unevolved ruby. Creamy red Garnacha fruit. Medium weight, moderate wood, a bit of herbal elements, glossy finish with low tannin at this point. Attractive, New World style wine that was infinitely more interesting and drinkable than its 1998 counterpart we recently had that was swamped by the resiny oak.
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4/28/2013 - HRT wrote:
Very well balanced with sweet tannins which have integrated well. Great fruit and a lingering finish.
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4/28/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 90 Points
Score could be higher but the 95 Pesquera was just outstanding and everything else seem not as good. Still good for many years I think, not fully integrated yet.
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4/25/2013 - robmatic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking extremely well now. Still has formidable structure, but has softened enough recently to become very enjoyable. Velvety and dense fruit up front, with chocolate and licorice in the back, and plenty of supporting acidity. Lovely.
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3/31/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 86 Points
Drank over 3 hours. Dense dark nose of black fruit, black licorice, cedar, earth and alcohol. Seemed a bit out of balance and pruiney on the palate. Thin. I had this several years ago and this was richer and more harmonious. Does not appear to be aging well. Tannic finish.
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3/16/2013 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dense, deep dark fruit, marked age, very elegant, silky fine grained tannins, long length.
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2/13/2013 - Arcturus wrote: 92 Points
2 hour decant. Old world charm, cassis, stone and dry dark fruit on the nose. Plenty of life on the mipalate, revealing depth and layers as time passed. Hearty, coating tannins on the long finish. Delicious. 92
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11/17/2012 - robmatic wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully. Excellent structure and depth, and the potent oak has finally integrated fairly well. A classic, and should keep well for quite some time.
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11/10/2012 - BGK810 wrote: 91 Points
Wow - still rich with lively acidity. Some start of oxidation, but overall delicious and it still has several years.
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11/2/2012 - therodent Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice round fruity nose with spice undertones. Taste is immediately peppery, much like a zinfandel, which is followed by a bit of earth and then lots of outstanding fruit. This bottle was opened three hours prior to tasting. 11/12. The following day this wine is still drinking fantastic. The pepper more subdued and the fruit more pronounced.
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5/4/2012 - Cancuk wrote: 89 Points
Spain meets Napa. Definitely needed the time to settle down but I wouldn't purchase again.
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4/11/2012 - S1 wrote: 91 Points
Mix of black and red fruits. Some barnyard. Vanilla, glycerin. This hinted at greatness but the alcohol and oak were just too out of balance on the finish. Still a great drink.
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3/17/2012 - jonnyoro wrote: 96 Points
well, if there ever was a poster child for letting a wine age, this is it... i've had this three times previously and every time it had been too tannic, too oaky, disjointed, and difficult to drink no matter how much air it got. tonight with a splash decant and about an hour in the decanter, this wine is really delicious..... full bodied, aromatic, funky in a good way, boysenberry and plum notes, integrated oak and a long lingering finsih. i'm impressed. this wine is still young but just reaching its best drinking window. i have 1/2 a case of the 2004 but haven't yet tried it... maybe in a few years (this one is nearly 13 years old so i'll wait 'til 2017+ to avoid disappointment).
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1/8/2012 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
A velvety toro with the ripeness (but not flavor) of a wounded banana. Great radioactive tweaker. Fading fruit but plenty of soft chocolate.
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12/24/2011 - randylsu wrote:
Coffee, blackberries, and tons of cocoa on the nose. More coffee & dark fruit on the palate, but a little on the sour side. Not normally my style, but this is drinking really well right now.
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11/18/2011 - pinothoarder wrote: 88 Points
BITTER AND TANIC.
Decanted 2 hours & drank over a 7 hour evening. Showed at its best between hours 2 – 4 when the aromatic concentration was at its peak. The nose fell of pretty sharply after hour 4.
To me this was really a treat for the nose during that prime drinking window, but a seemed very hollow on the palate from beginning to end.
Showed full-tilt aromatic complexity; with blackberry, dark chocolate prominence, and dusty/minty undertones. And although the smooth and subtle remnants of aged tannins provide perfect texture, there is virtually no sweet fruit here to balance it out. It’s more like drinking a melted, 85% cocoa, dark chocolate bar that’s been ground up with some grape skin and stems.
Fans of “bitter” will have big love for this one, but I am a milk chocolate man, and to me this seems really out of balance.
This is a perfect example of tannins outlasting fruit. Drink now while there are still some redeeming qualities; or wait a few years if you like the experience of nice-smelling battery acid. 92 pts for nose, 84 pts for taste; 88 pts total
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10/9/2011 - gthelen wrote: 94 Points
After 5hr decant: great power, integrated tannins, nice structure, strong nose. Very enjoyable.
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10/4/2011 - clairenclarence wrote: 94 Points
well integrate.intense flavour.gd balance.soft tannins.veri well drnking nw.minus point:if onli it has a bit tighter structure here.
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9/4/2011 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
medium body and smooth mouth feel; good cherry, dark raspberry, leather, minor menthol; served with tapas and i frankly didnt notice the tannins; more elegant than expected
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4/9/2011 - colowino wrote: 92 Points
Agree with MJ Faulkner and Patrick, as this tempranillo has aged quite well. Not as big and powerful as I expected. Blackberries and cassis are the predominant flavors, and the tannins in my bottle (one of only two I have, unfortunately) had softened over the 8 years of good cellaring. While some commentators give this vintage another 4-5 years of life expectancy, I think it's at its peak so to my fellow owners I say, "open 'er up" because you have yourself some real enjoyment in store.
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3/27/2011 - dekay wrote: 91 Points
Interesting to rate following a big '03 shiraz and a lovely '01 CdP in the past week. This Toro starts with simmering blackberry aromas with wafts of spice, wet leather and menthol. Rich and mouth-filling, the dark fruit has integrated with nary a hint of sweetness. Acidity and tannins provide the framework leading to a moderately long finish. Tannins are still a bit firm and a touch domineering; may dominate in a few years if other elements fade too quickly. Fine on its own, but a bit better with food.
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1/13/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Best bottle yet. Ripe blackberry fruits with secondary notes of leather. Tannins almost completely gone. This has aged extremely gracefully.
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9/4/2010 - johnnyo wrote: 90 Points
Very good but I expected a little more from this wine. Some nice notes of black cherry, black currant, tobacco and cedar with ample acidity but finish tailed off fairly quick. Perhaps a better food wine than on its own.
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6/8/2010 - ToThinkDifferent wrote: 92 Points
Still Amazes me that this rather affordable Tempranillo has aged and matured so wonderfully. Tannins are still integrating and structure is becoming more balanced every year I have tried this ... still improving since last time I tasted .. would give this a 92 upgrade from a 91 2 years ago. Fruit notations of Black Cherry/Blackberry with subtle hints of pepper and perhaps bitters. Wish I had a few more to play with and see where this goes although I would imagine we are at the top of the curve here. Will stock a few more of the 2004 which will soon be drinking nicely.
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5/19/2010 - HRT wrote:
Well balanced wiith smooth tannins which have blended well. Medium bodied with lingering finish.
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5/2/2010 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Blackberry, cassis, earth, glycerin and spice flavors. Beautiful texture and balance. We paired with Indian cuisine, and it worked perfectly.
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3/18/2010 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RUSSK WWiz at Valentino's, not one of my favs. Bug nose. I like, but am never wowwed by this wine maker.
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3/13/2010 - schway wrote: 91 Points
Good for what it is. Dark fruit. Spice. Coffee. Some leather. Nose and palate really come alive the 2nd day. More complexity and balance than last time. Oak much more subdued and better integrated. Pretty long finish. Very full-bodied. Tannins are still really song. Not sure if there's enough fruit there to keep up. Probably got a few good years left, but (with a long, healthy decant), I'd drink this sooner rather than later.
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2/18/2010 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
"Simple" Midweek Dinner (Chinese New Year Edition) (La Bracceria, Greendale Avenue): This had been opened for quite awhile by the time we got to it. Really nice. This was a musclebound wine that was world's apart from the lithely elegant Rioja we had next to this - hard to believe that both are made from the same grape! The purple colour on this one gave a fair indication on what to expect. Beautiful nose, with a real hedonistic forwardness to it - showing a whole ripe, rich melange of raspberries, kirsch and creme de cassis along with spices, a sprig of menthol and creamy, cocoa and woody oak with whiffs of cigarette smoke floating around. Palate was dense and massive, with bog Ribena and plum flavours with lots of spice and sweet anise notes. In spite of its size though, the wine never felt overblown, with the flavours all reined in by a lovely sense of structure. Finish was long, replete with peppery spice and clove notes. A really interesting wine, very delicious, and great with grilled tenderloin. I suspect it will benefit from 3-4 more years in the bottle.
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2/13/2010 - jestes wrote: 90 Points
Ready to drink; oak decently integrated but overall a bit underwhelming given the press.
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1/28/2010 - winemaker wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful brick red, transparent at the rim. Somewhat subdued nose. No question that this is a modern styled wine, but it is done very well. Some cherry fruit, cedar, cinnamon, a bit of cognac, tobacco, clove, black pepper, tannins are still a bit firm on the finish with balancing acidity. No noticeable oak. A layered complex wine. Long nice finish that expresses that mature tempranillo tea note. My last bottle. I am sure this will still be drinking well in 5-10 years. I dig this wine because it has fruit, complexity and structure.
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10/12/2009 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 5 hours. Tannins much more resolved compared with previous bottle (no decant last time). Interesting when juxtaposed with 06 Clio consumed same evening- both big fruit bombs, but the Numanthia has an underlying complexity that's Old World in character. Tobacco and leather- almost Bordeaux-like. WOTN for the group.
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7/30/2009 - davergny wrote: 93 Points
Delightful cherry, vanilla nose with a hint of spice. Rounded, elegant texture, well balanced, cherries and raspberries, hint of leather, not especially deep but very nice.
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7/27/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 95 Points
(from Magnum) This opened a bit off kilter. It showed some stewed / raisin notes. With an hour of air, it really came together to show great sweetness, a medium to full bodied personality and very good length. A big wine, but not heavy or palate draining. Very exciting stuff. (95)
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7/14/2009 - LeatherPalate wrote: 91 Points
N: saddle leather,raspberries, and black pepper
T: Raspberries,cedar, and black pepper.
this comes across as quite young still but I'm not so sure
the tannins will resolve in time to bring out more balance.
Smoke em if you got em Johnny.
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7/13/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Numanthia Seminar (Binny's South Loop, chicago IL): nose: balanced, lovely, and elegant nose with tones of dark red cherries, black currants, leather, dried florals, bits of smokey tones and even some dried berry tones. Real good depth that really draws you in
taste: has a nice nuanced character to it backed up by a elegant medium/full feel with medium+ acidity and tones of dark red cherries, leather, dried florals, dried berries and some smokey tones. There are some real sneaky tannins that creep up on the back end and make themselves known more on each taste
overall: A real lovely wine right now in a good place. Seems like this would go great with food and is a wine that I would like to spend time with, this came from a magnum so it was very fresh and lively
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7/13/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Bodega Numanthia Seminar (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Tasted from a Magnum. Showing really nicely. A few years in the bottle has done wonders on this juice.
So refined and elegant. Has characteristics of a gorgeous Bordeaux.
Medium dark ruby. Opaque at the center but showing signs of age only around the rim -- and only slightly.
Nose reminds me a bit of a California Cult Cabernet (like the 2005) showing a few years under its belt.
Nose is a bit restrainted but has elegance and finesse. Fabric softener, baked ginger bread and soft cinnamon spice also on the nose.
Rustic rastpberries on the palate with more baking spice, leather and refined ruby red fruit. Flowers and cigar box also on the back end.
Spot on balance in the finish. I seriously enjoyed this wine. This has another decade of life, but it sure is singing out of the 1.5L today.
I wonder if I would have enjoyed this bottling as much if I had tasted it upon release...?
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4/10/2009 - JeffGMorris wrote: 87 Points
Passover visit to Mom's house. Dark purple. Looking over the existing CellarTracker notes it looks like I may be out of sync with others on this wine. While this full bodied wine still had lots of heavy dark fruit, it also had bitter tannins and tasted a little unbalanced. Not a bad wine by any means, but hardly a great wine either. Nothing says Spanish and nothing says Old World. It does taste like it had great raw materials but that they were manipulated, and not for the better. 50+11+11+7+7 = 86
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1/1/2009 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple. Nose dominated by cedar/oak notes. Big tannins even at 10 years out, but in harmony with the relatively mellow fruit. My first taste of the 99, not as fruit forward as say the 03. I will probably drink my remaining bottles in the next year or so- I'm not convinced that this will improve, and in fact would guess that the tannins will begin to dominate.
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12/23/2008 - winelovr2001 wrote: 91 Points
A very nice mature tempranillo at its peak. The tannins are still pretty firm, but I think the fruit is at its peak, if you wait for the tannins to mellow I think the fruit will have subsided too much. Cedar, tobacco, raspberry kirsch, framed in firm tannins and good acids.
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8/19/2008 - woodofnor wrote: 92 Points
과일 폭탄.
풀바디 같지않은 풀바디랄까
미디엄 바디 같지않은 미디엄바디랄까
동긍동글 탄닌.
3시간이상의 데깡타쥬는 필수일듯.
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8/16/2008 - jreis wrote:
Drank alongside the 98 in a blind Spanish tasting. Nice, but not showing nearly as well as the 98. Deep dark plums on the nose, with a strong current of white limestone in the back ground. Smokier and spicier than the 98, but also more closed and restrained. Nice spicy fruit on the palate, with the same multi-layered texture, but even the texture of the wine was more subdued. Nice earthiness on the finish. I’m going to hold the bottles I have left for quite a while and see what they become.
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7/27/2008 - JOJ wrote: 96 Points
Unbelievable. Explosive nose of black cherries, raspberries, anise, coffee, flowers, earth, and oak. Palate unfolds into a melange of red and black fruit, with hints of anise, graphite/pencil lead, and spicy oak. Finish goes on forever. This is a masterpiece.
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4/13/2008 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Numanthia at the Masters (Ken's): Quiet on the nose. Brawny and tannic on the richly fruited palate. Bold flavors are persistent but not delineated --- needs time to meld together. 2-3 points of upside once this integrates further.
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4/13/2008 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Masters and Numanthias (Northbrook, IL): Dark red/purple colour. A little tight on the nose with aromas of coffee, vanilla, plums, blackberries and sweet oak. Dense and lush on the palate with more dark fruits, cocoa and oak, fairly soft tannins and a medium-long finish.
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12/28/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Nice big rich oaky wine. Early edge of drinking window. 93+ pts?
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12/2/2007 - vintage61 wrote: 89 Points
Good Fruit but hugh tannin. Obviously very young but not sure which will win out, the fruit or the tannin. If the fruit wins, this will merit a somewhat higher score.
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11/9/2007 - 2wangs wrote: 91 Points
Still a little cool when I drank it. Decanted for 3 hours. Pretty yummy. Loads of rich chocolate flavors. Surpisingly still fairly tannic. Even left some for the following day, and it still had a grip. Not sure about the price point. I liked it, but at $45, I'd have to think about buying more.
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9/12/2007 - no leashes wrote: 94 Points
Delicioius, lush dark berry, cherry and cassis flavors, earth, great texture. Wow!! great with a curry-based chicken dish.
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4/7/2007 - winemaker wrote: 94 Points
This wine was singing tonight. Powerful and deep. All the oak fully integrated now. No reason to wait on these any more. Will hold for a long time. WOTN vs. '02 Mas Doix, '97 Pasanau, '00 Artadi Pagos Viejos and '99 Flor de Pingus.
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4/3/2007 - schway wrote: 91 Points
A big, rich wine. High alcohol. Aromas are a bit tame and basic: dark fruit, oak, maybe a hint of chocolate. Palate delivers the same: blackberry, blueberry, plum, and sweet vanilla oak. Concentrated. Good attack and mid-palate, but the (medium-short) finish is a little disappointing. Lots of tannins on the finish. Not a lot of complexity here, but very pleasurable and comforting. Not much earth. No real sense of place. An enjoyable, very well-made wine, but perhaps not my preferred style. Definitely got better with time in the decanter and the glass, but nothing new or more complex really emerged. Just got smoother, richer and more balanced. The tannins do not seem to have yet integrated well. They're still a bit hard. Overall impression is that this wine is still too young. However, I made the mistake of not decanting for long enough. In hindsight, I would say that at this stage, the wine would benefit from a minimum of 2 hours decanting. 4 would probably have been better. I am going to wait at least another couple of years before I crack open the 2nd bottle.
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2/4/2007 - psmith wrote:
Lots of spice and oak with dark fruits. Big and tannic on the palate. Astringent wood influence with green olive type notes - Spain's answer to Silver Oak. Enjoyable, but, while quite primary, hard to see this ever being a complete, balanced wine.
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12/16/2006 - mouton45 wrote: 90 Points
Not as good as the last bottle. Maybe I should have decanted longer
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11/6/2006 - agnorger wrote: 92 Points
notes of smoke, cherry, licorice and tobacco. Silky tannins well rounded even a touch creamy. As it opened it continued to please. I don't think it has a good QPR.
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10/24/2006 - El vino loco wrote: 92 Points
Less tanic the day after I opened it up.
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10/4/2006 - mattiasjansson wrote: 92 Points
Backstreet - Spain (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Full-bodied. Puckery tannins, but still a nice wine.
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6/4/2006 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
Liked this better than I thought.
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5/25/2006 - Mr T wrote: 91 Points
With endocrine fellows as part of Spanish tasting. 1-2 hour decant but wrong glasses and generally chaotic. Oak eventually settled down. Interesting constrast w/ some of the more traditiional wines.
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4/23/2006 - ths wrote: 92 Points
Ruby red to the rim, opens up quickly with a strong dark fruity nose, some tobacco. Firm tannins with a round flavor and a medium length finish featuring some cherry, licorice and tobacco. This is a robust, well structured wine with pleasing fruit and acidity. Appearence (4/5), Nose (12/15), Taste and Finish (17/20), Potential (9/10)
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2/1/2006 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Very dark, smoky black fruits, a bit firm, chocolate notes, d3, chocolate, earth, funk
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1/7/2006 - mouton45 wrote: 94 Points
First of six bottles. With the Saturday Group. Wow! The nose shouted WINNER as soon as it was poured into the glasses (splash-decanted at home about 2 hours before going over to Al's). The color in the glass was dark purple. Wonderful smells of dark fruits, cassis and oak. Full body with good balance. Nice feel in the the mouth- rich and ripe. Everyone noted the great legs this wine had - lots of glycerin. Interestingly, none of the guys called it as tempernillo - most thought it had to be syrah or a big cab. Pablo commented that the first bottle he tried from his cellar a few years was a bit disjointed, but this bottle was definitely getting its stuff together. Try next bottle in another year or two. This baby will last a long time.
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11/30/2005 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
Christie's Pre-Sale Tasting (Amsterdam): Warm, lots of oak, good in its way but not really my style.
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2/14/2005 - ssouth wrote: 91 Points
Served with Lamb Korma, rice and Naan. This is 100% Tino de Tinto (Tempranillo) Decanted for an hour
'99 Numanthia, $39
In the glass.. tooth staining purple that resembles an Aussie Shiraz or Grenache
On the nose.. Somewhat exotic with fir and balsa wood notes but not very expressive yet.
On the palate.. Tannic at the beginning and the end but in between, rich with anise, plum and tart bing cherries. Good acidity and a long finish. Not as sweet as I expected but I imagine it is too youthful and tight to really show this. Very little oak evident despite it's new oak treatment.
With the spicy Indian food.. it did quite well.
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1/1/2005 - caldwell wrote:
Hubba hubba. Import bottle. First opened revealed a reduced, wet-sock nose, but with time this turned into a beautiful tempranillo with a noticeable tannic back-end. Great medium weight palate presence; this was nice, elegant, etc. Give the next bottl
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9/1/2004 - caldwell wrote: flawed
Corked. Dense, closed nose, and a bit tannic. Give it another year.
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12/26/2003 - Lorien wrote: 92 Points
Purple/Ruby Red. Acidic and sweet aromas of wild fruits, cherries, cinnamon and peaches. Full body with great balance, but on the extreme side: young oak, high acidity and big tannins. Concentrated flavors of fruits with nice solid finish, and with a pleasant aftertaste. Overall, a tasty red wine, that though isn’t very complex or unique, is a pleasure to drink and enjoy. Needs around five years to fully glow, and will cellar well for 10 years more
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10/2/2002 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 84 Points
Dark blackish purplish ruby, tight on the nose & very reserved at first, after 2 hours opens up nicely, chocolate, spice, vanilla, toast, black fruit, B3+, A3, T4, very rich & deep, penetrating fruit, wall of rustic tannin clamps down & dries finish, very tannic fruit is a bit lost and subdued by oak, tannin, interesting, very masculine, day 2, aromas of tar spice, leather, oak, dark brambly fruit, chocolate, vanilla, still pretty tannic (4+) & tight but nice enough
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