This tasting was among the more difficult ones I’ve been to - not because the wines were too challenging or anything like that, but because they were so ridiculously over-the-top. Getting to the end was starting to feel more like a chore halfway through.
Mildly put, all the wines were quite huge - some even YUUUGE - and while most weren’t overtly oaky, you really couldn’t miss the somewhat noticeable oak impact in the wines. The one Termes that wasn’t too old was actually quite enjoyable for such a big wine, and even if most of the Numanthias were too overdone for my preference, I must admit that the few cooler vintages were quite impressive in their own right.
Termanthias, in turn, were truly excercises in excess. Super-concentrated wines made with fruit sourced from centenarian vineyards and vinified in 200% new oak. What is remarkable, though, is how these wines were surprisingly balanced for such immense blockbuster wines. Definitely not wines built for my taste, but still quite impressive, if one happens to enjoy massively monolithic, heavily oaked monster wines with densities exceeding those of neutron stars. I mean, I have had Amarones that have been much, much worse than these gargantuan beasts.
-
2000 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Rust Ridge Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (27.2.2023)
Made with fruit sourced from a vineyard planted to two different clones of Zinfandel. 15% alcohol. Tasted blind from a bottle that had been opened +6 hours prior.
Quite deep, dark and somewhat evolved cherry-red color wit an aged maroon hue. The nose feels quite sweet and rather dark-toned with aromas of dried figs and ripe dark forest fruits, some brooding oak spice, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light vanilla tones and a hint of raisiny fruit. The wine is rich, moderately evolved and even subtly oxidative on the palate with a full body and bold flavors of raisins and dates, some oaky notes of vanilla and savory wood, a little bit of blackberry jam, light peppery tones, a hint of strawberry and a volatile touch of nail polish. The acidity feels quite high, but the tannins come across as pretty ripe, gentle and resolved. The finish is long, quite warm and slightly grippy with a spicy aftertaste of strawberries, some dried figs, a little bit of balsamic VA, light peppery tones, a hint of vanilla oak and a touch of raisiny fruit.
I guessed this was a Zinfandel with some age, but I was surprised to learn this was Rosenblum's 2000 Rust Ridge - a wine I had tasted a not long time ago and it was very impressive, firm and structured effort back then. This wine seemed noticeably more evolved and tertiary, showing a lot of emphasis on sweet dried-fruit flavors and the tannins seemed to have subsided quite a bit, too. While very enjoyable and rewarding in its own right, I was slightly disappointed as I knew this wine could perform so much better. I wonder whether the poor performance was because the bottle had been open for so long already, or if there was just some bottle variation - after all, I'd be surprised if all the bottles of wine were identical to each other after +20 years of aging! At 28,50€ this wine showed good value.
(90 points) -
2008 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termes - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
100% Tinta del Toro aka. Tempranillo, Aged for 16 months in second use barriques. 14,5% alcohol.
Luminous, somewhat translucent black cherry color that is still surprisingly youthful for the age. The nose feels fragrant sweetish and slightly evolved with aromas of black cherries and perfumed floral nuances, some boysenberries, a little bit of dried figs, light blueberry tones, a lifted hint of ethery VA, a developed touch of meat stew and a whiff of mocha oak. The wine feels rich, juicy and quite robust on the palate with a full body and intense, ripe flavors of dark plummy fruits and licorice, some old leather tones, a little bit of woody oak spice, light meaty notes of game, a developed hint of raisiny fruit and an evolved touch of savory umami. The overall feel is tactile and chewy in texture, but also packing quite a bit of structure with its moderately high acidity and ample yet very ripe and moderately resolved tannins. The finish is juicy, dry and quite warm with some tannic grip and a moderately long aftertaste of wizened red plums and dried figs, some woody notes of oak, a little bit of licorice, light raisiny tones, a hint of earth and a sweeter touch of toasty oak spice.
A rich, big and textural Toro that is a very big in its own right, but feels surprisingly well-proportionate and balanced in a tasting of Termes, Numanthia and Termanthia. Having tasted this wine almost exactly ten years ago, there are some obvious things that have changed over this time: the wine doesn't feel as big and in-your-face than 10 years ago, so the overall feel isn't as heavy and the acidity manages to cut through much better. The tannins have also resolved quite a bit: in its youth the wine was massively tannic and pretty grippy, whereas now the tannins are much less grippy and mainly contribute to the rich texture of the wine. Fruit-wise the wine has developed some tertiary complexity, but ultimately I'm not sure if the wine has turned into something more interesting; in its youth the wine was very rich and bold with very vibrant fruit, maybe showing even more depth and nuance, whereas now the flavors are lacking that intensity, and while showing more tertiary characteristics, I'm not sure if there is any additional complexity. It seems the wine has evolved, but not really improved. This is a different wine from what it was ten years ago, but not necessarily better. I wondered why the producer says this wine has aging potential for five years, but I guess now - in retrospect - it makes some sense.
(90 points) -
2004 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termes - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
100% Tinta del Toro aka. Tempranillo, Aged for 16 months in second use barriques. 14,5% alcohol.
Moderately evolved and quite translucent figgy-red. The nose feels rich and somewhat tired with tertiary aromas of dried dates and meat stew, some leathery tones, a little bit of oxidative soy sauce, light nuances of beef jerky and a sweet hint of ripe and soft dark plums. The wine is fat, chewy and sweet-toned on the palate with a very full body and bold, evolved flavors of strawberry jam and wizened dark plums, some gamey tones, a little bit of blueberry jelly, light oxidative notes of soy sauce and beef jerky, a lifted hint of minty greenness and a touch of ripe boysenberries. The wine is quite low in acidity, but the assertive, extracted tannins lend quite a bit of grip and firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is aged, juicy and quite grippy with some alcohol warmth and a medium-long aftertaste of ripe dark fruits, some oxidative notes of soy sauce and beef jerky, a little bit of dried dates, light pruney tones, a hint of leather and a touch of strawberry jam.
A huge, fat and excessively ripe Tempranillo that is getting too old for its own good. While there is still some of that very ripe and concentrated fruit left here, most of it has evolved into this sweet, pruney mess, and what still remains is starting to get overwhelmed by the oxidative notes of soy sauce and beef jerky. There's no denying that the wine is impressively big - huge, even - but the acidity feels nowhere near sufficient to lend good sense of balance or structure to the wine. Fortunately the ample and quite grippy tannins still manage to lend some sense of firmness to the texture - otherwise the wine would feel just gloopy raisin juice. All in all, it feels like this wine must've been much better some ten years ago - and it is entirely possible we just had a prematurely evolved bottle - but I doubt the wine was particularly harmonious or balanced even in its youth. Can't say this wine managed to win me over.
(79 points) -
2011 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
100% Tinta de Toro from over 100 ungrafted, non-irrigated parcels aged between 50 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 21 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered in July 2013. 15% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and very slightly translucent black cherry color. The powerful, dark-toned nose shows intense, sweet-toned aromas of cherry marmalade and ripe blackberries, some licorice tones, a little bit of toasty mocha oak, light dried-fruit notes of prunes and dried figs and a woody hint of savory oak spice. The wine feels robust, hot and extracted on the palate with a very full body and intense flavors of raisiny dark fruits and meaty umami, some woody notes of savory oak, a little bit of ripe dark plums, light earthy notes, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of roasted game. Despite the massive body and obvious ripeness of the fruit, the wine still manages to show surprisingly nice sense of structure, thanks to the quite high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is rich, powerful and quite grippy with a long, juicy aftertaste of raisiny dark fruits and sweet dark plums, some meaty tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light toasty oak tones, a hint of blackberry jam and a touch of balsamic VA.
A huge and noticeably ripe yet still surprisingly enjoyable blockbuster wine. Stylistically this wine is not in my wheelhouse, not even near it, but if I wanted have a huge wine with some tertiary complexity and tons of fruit, this is definitely something I could easily go with. I was surprised how evolved the wine was - I thought these Numanthia wines aged at a very slow pace, but this wine seemed very close to its plateau of maturity now, at the age of 12,5 years. Even if the wine would keep just fine for years more, I really didn't get a feeling there would be much further development here - at least not in a direction that would benefit the wine. Drink now or within the next handful of years.
(91 points) -
2006 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
100% Tinta de Toro from over 100 ungrafted, non-irrigated parcels aged between 50 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 21 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months. 15% alcohol.
Quite opaque, rather evolved and slightly hazy blackish-red color. The nose feels sweetish and somewhat tertiary with aromas of dried figs and dates, some raisiny tones, a little bit of balsamic VA, light toasty notes of mocha oak, a hint of strawberry jam and an alcoholic touch of plum liqueur. The wine feels broad, ripe and somewhat fat on the palate with a very full body and intense, sweet-toned flavors of blackberry jam, some pruney tones, a little bit of woody oak spice, light oxidative notes of beef jerky, a hint of dried dates and a touch of balsamic VA. The acidity feels quite modest - especially when contrasted with such a big body - so the structure relies almost completely on the ample, quite tough and still rather grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, big and sweet-toned with moderately grippy tannins and a lush, medium-long aftertaste of raisiny and dried dates, some gamey notes of meat, a little bit of beef jerky, light mocha notes of toasted new oak, a hint of strawberry jam and a touch of strawberry jam. The wine ends on a quite grippy and rather warm note.
A huge blockbuster Toro that feels a bit too ripe for its own good and where the age is starting to show quite a bit. The wine isn't falling apart yet, but the wine isn't young anymore, obviously - there are some oxidative beef jerky tones showing up and it's hard to assess whether it's the age or the excessive ripeness that makes the wine taste so pruney and raisiny. With its quite pronounced alcohol heat, huge and chewy body and quite raisiny fruit flavors, this is starting to drink more like an Amarone than a Tempranillo. While still enjoyable, I must admit I'm not a fan.
(87 points) -
2005 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
100% Tinta de Toro from over 100 ungrafted, non-irrigated parcels aged between 50 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 21 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 19 months. 14,5% alcohol.
Luminous, somewhat translucent and slightly evolved black cherry color. The nose feels very ripe, noticeably sweet-toned and slightly evolved with aromas of dried cherries, some minty tones, a little bit of evolved raisiny fruit, light notes of soft strawberries, a hint of meat stew and a touch of plum liqueur. The wine feels juicy, quite big and rather silky on the palate with a full body and very ripe flavors of cherries and strawberry jam, some licorice root, a little bit of raisiny fruit, light oaky notes of vanilla and toasty mocha character, a hint of meat consommé and a touch of salty liquorice. The acidity comes across as pretty low, so the structure relies almost entirely on the ample and quite grippy tannins. The finish is long, spicy and quite grippy with a rich and powerful aftertaste of strawberry jam, some raisiny tones, a little bit of woody oak spice, light evolved notes of meat stew, a hint of cocoa dust and a touch of prunes. The wine ends on a quite warm and slightly boozy note.
Although all the Numanthias we tasted in this Numanthia 2011-1998 vertical were very big and ripe, this wine was one of those that felt a bit too over-the-top. This actually wasn't as big, chewy and extracted as some vintages, but instead the ripeness seemed somewhat excessive here; the wine was just way too sweet, soft, fat and flabby. When Numanthia wines are good, they are good because they can combine the big size and power with impressively muscular frame, but this was just tons of sweet, concentrated and voluptuous old-vine fruit with insufficient structure to keep it from coming across as blowzy. The overall impression was rather porty - without the charm of a proper Port wine. Not really my kind of wine.
(83 points) -
2004 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
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 21 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 19 months. 14,5% alcohol.
Dark, very slightly translucent and subtly evolved black cherry color with a faint brick-red hue towards the rim. The nose feels powerful, quite ripe and nuanced with concentrated aromas of wizened dark plums and ripe figs, some toasty notes of mocha oak, a little bit of blackberry jam, light volatile undertones of balsamico and medicinal ether, dried-fruit hints of raisins and dried dates and a touch of antique furniture. The wine feels dense, chewy and quite sinewy with a full body and rather robust flavors of wizened black cherries and ripe blackberries , some woody notes of oak, a little bit of extracted bitter tones, sweet hints of prunes or even plum liqueur and a touch of peppery spice. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate and the combination of rather high acidity and quite assertive, moderately drying tannins make the wine feel firm balanced and pretty structure-driven. The finish is long, robust and quite warm with rather grippy tannins and a bold aftertaste of prunes and cherry marmalade, some extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of roasted game, light chocolatey notes of toasty mocha oak, a hint of wizened dark plums and a touch of balsamic VA.
For such a big, ripe and muscular wine, this turned out to be a surprisingly balanced and enjoyable effort. Normally these Numanthia wines are just way too big, ripe and overdone wines for my palate, but here one can find enough acidity and firmness to keep the sense of structure in the focus, and the fruit department doesn't feel too ripe, sweet and pruney in character. The alcohol feels a bit too high, lending a rather hot and boozy feel to the wine - but I guess that is something you can't avoid with the wines of Toro. Can't say I loved the wine, but this was still one of the best vintages of Numanthia we tasted in our 2011-1998 vertical and quite an impressive wine in its own right. I feel the wine might not just keep, but even continue to evolve for a number of years more, but I really don't feel like the wine is going to improve much from here - I'd say the wine has reached its apogee now, at approx. 20 years of age. Probably better to drink up sooner rather than later.
(92 points) -
2003 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
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 21 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months. 14,5% alcohol.
Evolved, somewhat translucent figgy-red color with a brick-red core and a more maroon rim. The nose feels quite old, pungent and moderately oxidative with aromas of soy sauce and nutty rancio, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of lifted minty character, light raisiny tones, sweet hints of blueberries and boysenberry jam and a touch of beef jerky. The wine feels broad, somewhat tired and quite fat on the palate with a very full body and rather tertiary flavors of prunes and dark raisiny fruit, some caramel oak tones, a little bit of minty greenness, light blueberry jam tones, a hint of meat stew and an oxidative touch of nutty rancio. The high alcohol feels quite noticeable and the structure relies mostly on the ample, extracted and moderately grippy tannins rather than on the low acidity. The medium-long finish is warm, moderately tannic and quite blowzy with a sweet, somewhat tired aftertaste of cherry marmalade and strawberry jam, some oxidative notes of smoke-cured meat and beef jerky, a little bit of extracted woody bitterness, an oxidative hint of rancio and a touch of ripe blueberry.
On our 2011-1998 Numanthia vertical the ripeness in this vintage felt even higher than in the other vintages. Numanthia is by definition a super-ripe blockbuster, but even in this case this 2003 seemed to show even more ripeness than any other Numanthia we tasted. The fruit seemed just way too sweet, soft and flabby for my preference and there was all too little acidity to lend any sense of balance to the wine. Furthermore, it seems age had not treated this wine with grace, since the overall feel was much more evolved and tired than in the surrounding vintages 2004 and 2002, which were still performing with good sense of finesse and vibrancy. Of course when a wine is almost 20 years old, bottle variation is going to rear its ugly head, but even if our bottle wasn't in prime condition, I still didn't get a feel that this would be a wine built for aging. It's hard to picture how this wine would've been particularly enjoyable for my taste at any point in its life.
(77 points) -
2002 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
100% Tinta de Toro from over 100 ungrafted, non-irrigated parcels aged between 70 and 100 yo located in the villages of Valdefinjas, Toro and El Pego. The fully destemmed fruit is cold-soaked with the skins for more than a week followed by fermentation and maceration over a period of 28 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 19 months. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 350 cases.
Dense, slightly translucent and quite concentrated cherry-red color with a pale raspberry-red rim. The overall appearance is surprisingly youthful - noticeably more so than with any other Numanthia in this vertical of vintages from 2011 to 1998. The nose feels savory, complex and somewhat spicy with vibrant, moderately evolved aromas of wizened black cherries, some dusty earth, a little bit of old leather, light strawberry tones, a hint of savory spices, a touch of vanilla oak and a whiff of sweeter toasty oak. The wine feels dense, firm and quite concentrated on the palate with a moderately full body and intense, juicy flavors of ripe black cherries, some succulent plummy tones, a little bit of old leather, light stony mineral notes, a hint of meaty umami and a touch of developed dried-fruit character. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate and the combination of surprisingly high acidity and quite assertive, grippy tannins make the wine feel very muscular and structure-driven without making it come across as too tough or aggressive. The finish is juicy, dense and quite grippy with a long and rather concentrated aftertaste of ripe, sweet-toned dark fruits, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of juicy red plums, light cherry marmalade tones, a hint of leather and a touch of stony minerality.
A big and concentrated but also surprisingly balanced and harmonious vintage of Numanthia. I've understood 2002 wasn't a particularly memorable vintage in most parts of Spain, but at least in Toro this cooler vintage seems to have only benefited the wines. Normally Numanthia is just way too big, excessively ripe and simply just too clumsy a wine for my taste; however, this 2002 sports atypically high acidity for the wine - it is pretty obvious when tasting so many different vintages in succession - and even if the wine is starting to show some evolved qualities, the overall feel is surprisingly youthful for its age. This is undeniably a Numanthia - ie. a big, ripe and powerful Tempranillo - but an enjoyably balanced effort for one. The wine is drinking really well right now, but there is still some potential for the fruit to improve with further cellaring and the tannins could soften up a bit more with additional aging as well. Drink or keep for another 10-ish years.
(93 points) -
2000 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
100% Tinta de Toro from over 100 ungrafted, non-irrigated parcels aged between 70 and 100 yo located in the villages of Valdefinjas, Toro and El Pego. The fully destemmed fruit is cold-soaked with the skins for more than a week followed by fermentation and maceration over a period of 28 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 19 months. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 350 cases.
Quite old, slightly hazy and moderately opaque cherry-red color with a rusty brownish-maroon hue. The nose feels very old and evolved with quite oxidative aromas of meat stew and beef jerky, some raisiny tones, a little bit of salty liquorice, light nutty notes of rancio, a hint of smoke, a touch of balsamic VA and a whiff of sweet, toasty oak. The wine feels ripe, dry and tertiary on the palate with a full body and quite tired flavors of raisin soup and meat consommé, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of salty liquorice, light nutty notes of rancio, a hint of extracted bitterness and a touch of soy sauce. The wine is quite low in acidity with rather tough and grippy tannins. The finish is dry, tough and grippy yet still quite fat and flabby with a long, tired aftertaste of raisins and meat stew, some nutty notes of rancio, a little bit of balsamic VA, light sweet notes of toasty oak, a hint of salty liquorice and a touch of dried dates. The wine ends on a rather warm and quite grippy note.
Ugh, this was already on a decline. It feels this must've been quite a big powerhouse maybe ten years ago, but now the wine is just too evolved. It is not completely in pieces or fully oxidized, but can't say the wine is particularly enjoyable anymore. It's high time to drink up any remaining bottles.
(73 points) -
1999 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
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.
(81 points) -
1998 Bodega Numanthia Toro Numanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
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 four days followed by a week of fermentation and maceration extending after the maceration for two to three weeks. Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months, bottled in June 2000. 14,5% alcohol.
Quite translucent, somewhat pale and moderately evolved blood-red color with a brick-orange rim. The nose feels rich, brooding and quite sweet-toned with intense aromas of raisiny dark fruit and dried figs, some fragrant notes of dried flowers, a little bit of boozy alcohol, light evolved notes of savory meatiness and earth, a hint of vanilla, a touch of ripe dark plums and a whiff of dill. The wine feels rich, juicy and a bit soft on the palate with a noticeably full body and concentrated flavors of strawberries and cherry marmalade, some oaky notes of vanilla and cloves, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light notes of dill, a hint of prunes and an oxidative touch of beef jerky. The wine is moderately high in acidity with firm medium-plus tannins that slowly grow in grip, at the same time lending a slightly bitter counterpoint to the sweeter fruit flavors. The finish is ripe, sweet-toned and somewhat grippy with bold, evolved flavors of dried figs, some raisiny tones, a little bit of dill, light oaky notes of vanilla and cloves, a hint of strawberry jam and a touch of extracted woody bitterness. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a moderately warm note.
I was surprised how this vintage was noticeably different from all the other vintages we tasted in the 2011-1998 Numanthia vertical. Virtually all the wines showed some oak influence, but in all other vintages the oak impact was quite toasty and dark-toned, lending a somewhat chocolatey mocha character to the wine. However, here the oaky tones were much more sweeter, lending notes of vanilla and cloves to the wine - along with nuances of dill - all characteristics completely absent in all the other vintages. The overall style here was relatively balanced (for a Numanthia) and the sense of development was perfectly appropriate for a 25-yo Tempranillo, ie. the wine didn't seem like prematurely evolved or too oxidized. However, I must say I didn't really like the more vanilla-dill-and-cloves character of this wine - I wonder if the oak aging regime or cooperage was in some way different in this vintage? Who knows. All in all, this was a decent wine at its peak. Can't say I was particularly thrilled, but at least the wine was pretty ok and completely drinkable - something that didn't apply to all vintages of Numanthia we tasted!
(86 points) -
2005 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
A single-vineyard Toro made with Tinta de Toro grapes sourced from the ungrafted 4,8-hectare Teso de los Carriles cru in the village of Argujillo, where even the youngest vines are planted over 120 years ago. Cold-soaked for five days prior to the fermentation, fermented and macerated with the skins in 2000-liter oak vats for three to four weeks, then moved into new French oak barrels for MLF. After MLF the wine is racked (again) into new French oak barrels and aged for 20 months on the lees. After this 200% new oak treatment, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 4087 bottles.
Slightly evolved and subtly translucent black cherry color with a faint maroon hue. The nose feels brooding, fragrant and noticeably sweetish with bold aromas of raisins and dried dates, some evolved notes of beef jerky and game, light plummy tones, a little bit of coffee and toasty mocha oak, a hint of meat consommé and a touch of savory wood spice. The wine feels clean, ripe and sweet-toned on the palate with a very full body and somewhat evolved flavors of juicy dark fruits and cherry marmalade, some evolved notes of wizened damsons and dried dates, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of beef jerky, a hint of strawberry jam and a chocolatey touch of toasty oak. Considering how big and ripe the wine is, it does pack quite a bit of acidity, supported by the rather extracted and grippy tannins. The finish is warm, long and moderately grippy with bold, concentrated flavors of spicy oak and sweet pruney tones, some evolved beef jerky notes, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light chocolatey cocoa nuances, an extracted hint of oaky bitterness and a touch of strawberry jam. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a moderately warm note.
After a bunch of Numanthias - quite huge wines in their own right - this Termanthia feels like someone took a Numanthia and just added some more body and concentration. This is getting huge beyond words. But not like Amarone-huge, no. This is just pushing the boundaries of how big and monolithic an old-vine Tempranillo can get. Although there's no denying that that 200% new oak does show, it doesn't feel TOO overdone - just overdone. All in all, this isn't a wine for me - not in any way imaginable. However, I'm willing to admit that this is relatively balanced and enjoyable for such a huge blockbuster wine. I think the overall style is just too sweet, heavy and over-ripe and when Numanthia is good, it is better than Termanthia - these are more like a joke that has been pushed too far - but I feel Numanthias with age are pretty unreliable. These Termanthias seem to keep their game better together as they age, whereas Numanthias seem to fall apart much sooner than I'd anticipate. Not that all this really matters - I'm not honestly planning on buying and/or cellaring any wines from this winery!
(91 points) -
2004 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
A single-vineyard Toro made with fruit sourced from the ungrafted 4,8-hectare Teso de los Carriles cru, where even the youngest vines are planted over 120 years ago. Cold-soaked for five days prior to the fermentation, fermented and macerated with the skins in 2000-liter oak vats for three to four weeks, then moved into new French oak barrels for MLF. After MLF the wine is racked (again) into new French oak barrels and aged for 20 months on the lees. After this 200% new oak treatment, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 4350 bottles.
Dense, rather opaque and very deep black cherry color with a somewhat youthful garnet hue. The nose feels relatively restrained and fine-tuned for a Numanthia wine with layered, somewhat evolved aromas of dried cherries and wizened dark plums, some raisiny tones, a little bit of earth, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of fragrant floral character and a toasty touch of sweet oak spice. The wine feels massive, super-concentrated and voluptuous on the palate with a very full body and bold flavors of dried figs and sweet dark plums, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light coffee liqueur tones, a sweeter hint of toasty mocha oak and a touch of evolved earthy character. Although the wine sports surprisingly good acidity and quite grippy and firm yet not aggressive tannins, the overall feel is still pretty fat and monolithic, all thanks to the sheer size and concentration of the wine. The finish is clean, juicy and quite grippy with a very long and powerful aftertaste of ripe dark plums and sweet dried figs, some peppery tones, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of extracted woody bitterness and a touch of milk chocolate.
A huge blockbuster of a wine by any standards. Of the three Termanthias (2005, 2004 and 2001) we tasted, this showed the most sense of balance, harmony and complexity - but one has to understand that the term "balanced" is quite questionable for a wine this huge. I mean even though the wine sports quite a bit of firmness and structure, it still comes across as pretty fat, clumsy and voluptuous. I guess this is a stunning wine if you like huge, concentrated and super-ripe oak bombs, but for me, this is interesting and impressive pretty much only because I'm amazed how one is capable of crafting Tempranillo into something as huge and heavy as this. Age-wise I feel this wine is pretty much at its peak: there are some evolved tertiary qualities, but there's also enough youthful vibrancy to keep the wine from coming across as tired and ponderous. Although the wine can keep for many years more, I really don't see benefit in any additional aging - these Numanthia wines seem to fall apart quite suddenly once they've been on their plateau of maturity for some time, so keeping them for too long is always a gamble...
(92 points) -
2001 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termanthia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (27.2.2023)
A single-vineyard Toro made with fruit sourced from the ungrafted 4,8-hectare Teso de los Carriles cru, where even the youngest vines are planted over 120 years ago. Cold-soaked for five days prior to the fermentation, fermented and macerated with the skins in 2000-liter oak vats for three to four weeks, then moved into new French oak barrels for MLF. After MLF the wine is racked (again) into new French oak barrels and aged for 20 months on the lees. After this 200% new oak treatment, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 3750 bottles.
Somewhat translucent and slightly evolved dark cherry-red color. The nose feels surprisingly reticent with understated aromas of ripe dark fruits and sweet dark berries, some ferrous notes of blood, light Porty tones of dried dark fruits and boozy alcohol, a little bit of evolved meaty character, a volatile hint of nail polish and a touch of fig jam. The wine feels broad, chewy and extracted on the palate with a full body and very ripe flavors of sweet strawberries and savory spices, some raisiny tones, a little bit of blackcurrant marmalade, light pruney tones, a hint of overripe black cherry and a touch of game. The wine feels pretty balanced with its moderately high acidity and ripe medium tannins, but the overall feel is quite soft and gentle for a Numanthia wine. The high alcohol lends some noticeable warmth to the palate. The finish is rich, dense and chewy with gently grippy tannins and a long, sweet-toned aftertaste of wizened dark plums, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of dried figs, light raisiny tones, a hint of balsamic VA and a woody touch of dry oak spice.
A very big, noticeably ripe and slightly clumsy but still relatively balanced Termanthia that feels like it is on its plateau of maturity at 21½ years of age. The nose feels quite understated and structurally the wine is pretty soft and gentle, so after two more impressive vintages of Termanthia (2005 and 2004) this 2001 seemed like a bit lesser wine in comparison. Not a bad wine per se, just lacking a bit in depth and intensity - which is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, considering how Termanthia is just way too big a wine for my preference!
(89 points) -
2020 Les Quatre Piliers Touraine Au Dessus de Vitré - France, Loire Valley, Touraine (27.2.2023)
100% Cabernet Franc from parcels ranging from 45 to 70 years in age. Fully destemmed, fermented spontaneously and macerated for 24 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for 18 months in 2 to 3 yo 228-liter pièces. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13% alcohol. Total production 4000 bottles. Tasted blind.
Youthful, slightly translucent black cherry-red color with a blueish hue. The nose feels very youthful and quite noticeably primary with vibrant, sweet aromas of bilberries and brambly raspberries, some herbal tones, a little bit of leafy greenness, light crunchy notes of crowberries, a hint of beet and a candied touch of raspberry jellies. The wine feels dry, bright and crunchy on the palate with a light-to-medium body and very youthful flavors of tart cranberries and crunchy redcurrants, some brambly raspberry tones, a little bit of slightly astringent lingonberry, light leafy green nuances, a candied hint of red-toned primary fruit and a touch of gravelly minerality. The structure relies almost solely on the brisk acidity as the tannins come across as very light and supple without almost any grip. The finish is dry and crunchy with tart, youthful flavors of lingonberries and fresh cranberries, some leafy herbaceous tones, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light ferrous notes of blood, a bubblegum-y hint of primary fruit and a touch of ripe raspberry.
A nice, clean and very tasty Cabernet Franc that is still just way too youthful for my preference. I love the brisk, dry and acid-driven style here and the herbaceous tell-tale marks of Cabernet Franc are there (although not too in-your-face as in the Loire Cab Francs of yore) - but the overall flavor profile is just way too heavily dominated by these candied and bubblegum-y primary fruit flavors and other fruity esters from the fermentation. Although you can taste there's a lovely Cab Franc beneath, you really can't shake the Beaujolais Nouveau feeling. I'm sure this will be a very lovely wine once it has lost all the primary fruit flavors, but it is going to take a few more years - one just needs to be patient.
(88 points) -
2007 Clusserath-Weiler Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spätlese ** - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (27.2.2023)
7% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Medium-deep, luminous lemon marmalade color with faint lime-green highlights. The nose is quite concentrated and instantly recognizable for an aged Riesling with intense aromas of beeswax and lemon marmalade, some candied ginger, a little bit of ripe orange, light stony mineral notes, a hint of nectarine, a touch of developed creaminess and a whiff of petrol. The wine feels fresh and precise on the palate with a light-to-medium body and intense medium-sweet flavors of stony minerality, lemon marmalade, some fresh nectarine notes, a little bit of acacia honey, light steely mineral nuances, a hint of apple jam and a pineapple-driven touch of fruit cocktail. The bright, brisk and wonderfully structured acidity lends great sense of energy, structure and focus to the wine. The finish is juicy, rather sweet and somewhat evolved with a bright, moderately long aftertaste of lemon marmalade, some ripe nectarine, a little bit of honeycomb, light stony mineral notes, an evolved hint of creamy or buttery character and a touch of ripe pineapple.
A fantastic, rather sweet yet still fresh and rather lithe Mosel Riesling that is in a fantastic spot right now. I was surprised to learn this was a 2007 Riesling (and one I had already tasted once before) because this wasn't nearly as ripe and concentrated as many sweeter 2007 Mosel Rieslings have been. Instead this was wonderfully precise, focused and mineral expression of 2007 Mosel with the residual sugar boosting the fruitier nuances just enough for them to match the acidity and mineral notes. Superb stuff and a bargain at just 21€.
(94 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
I think I’d rather drink Sierra Carche 
