Numanthia 2012 Magnum

The eponymous 2012 Numanthia is sourced from vineyards ranging from 60 to 100 years of age across the Toro appellation (they have around 100 hectares of vineyards... spread across 100 separate plots!). The wine matured in brand new oak barrels for 22 months. The aromas are mostly oak related with some toasted sesame seeds, sweet vanilla and cinnamon, some licorice and chocolate, and a core of very ripe black fruit. The oak is obviously of very good quality, but at the moment it dominates the wine and with time what emerges is still toffee, smoke and coal. The palate reveals a very young wine that is dense, tremendous, with high dry extract, concentrated, powerful, and full of dusty tannins and oak-related flavors. This beast needs a good couple of years to be tamed down by the bottle. This is a bodybuilder of a Toro -- oaky and highly extracted in its style. The 2014 will see a change and will not have 100% new oak. 50,000 bottles.

Rich red with pure aromas of ripe blackberries, cherry and plums. Slate and chocolate, too. Full body, an excellent fruit concentration and wonderful freshness on the palate. Compact, structured and delicious. Drink now or hold.

A blend of over 100 plots of Tinta de Toro, a clone of Tempranillo specific to the Toro region. These are low yielding, ungrafted pre-phylloxera bush vines with an average age of between 70 and 100 years. The extraordinarily fine tannins have a unique sandy quality that lends sufficient texture. The palate has perfectly ripe black and red fruits, with baked strawberry and currant flavours, plush plum notes, menthol, iron and fresh tobacco. The finish has a minty acidity, alcoholic warmth and a decent length, although the young tannins currently prevent any persistency of fruit coming through. One for the cellar.