Spain — wine

Toro

Castilla y León's most powerful and dramatic wine DO on the ancient Duero plateau at 620-750m altitude west of Valladolid, producing intensely concentrated Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo clone adapted to the extreme climate) from ungrafted sand-over-clay soils. The Toro's brutal continental climate — some of the hottest summers in Castile — creates wines of extraordinary dark fruit density and tannic structure. Many estates with ungrafted vines from pre-Phylloxera are over 100 years old.

Year Rating Notes
2022 Outstanding Toro vintage; Tinta de Toro from ungrafted sandy soils showed extraordinary dark fruit concentration and mineral depth.
2021 Classic vintage; the Duero plateau's extreme continental climate produced wines of excellent structure and density.
2020 Benchmark year; Numanthia Termanthia and Pintia produced wines of exceptional quality from ancient ungrafted vines.
2019 Greatest Toro vintage of the modern era; wines of legendary concentration from centenarian ungrafted Tinta de Toro vines.
2018 Excellent vintage; the extreme altitude and sandy soils combined perfectly to produce wines of power with unusual freshness.