Auroch Toro 2006

I’ve got a couple of inexpensive wines in this week, I’ve been drinking a bit too well of late (not that I’m complaining). Not too many details here, all you need to know is that its an unoaked joven wine made from 100% tempranillo that’s juicy and fresh. It’s made by Ana Martin.

And yes the label does look like a pair of boobs….I’m assuming its supposed to be a pair of bull horns.

Earth, spice, herby undergrowth, lavender, cherry liqueur and Irish pipe tobacco. Juicy, gamy fruit in the mouth followed by a healthy finish. On the palate there is roast meat juice, savoury cherry, cola and sage. The end of the bottle comes all to fast, excellent with some stewed ox tail too. 88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $20 Closure: Conventional Cork

Telmo Rodriguez Pago la Jara 2005

This is the top wine from Toro for Telmo Rodriguez and it must be hardest bottle in the world to take a photo of, its a good thing that the wine is bloody good. Toro generally grows big and bold fruit that can handle plenty of oak, so there is always a temptation to bung the wine in loads of new, high toast oak. As a result there are some oak milkshake type wines that come out of Toro, however this wine fruit shows through with great pruity and plenty of earthy, gamey character. There is some expertly handled oak in there too, but it’s aiming for best supporting actor, not the big gong.

Very dark in the glass, with a purple rim. The nose is off and going from the start: gamey dark cherry, blackberry, sarsaparilla, a shake of black pepper with some rose and violet high notes. In the mouth the tannins slowly build into big, soft things followed up by some minerally acid. A bit tight in the mouth, but showing show meaty, juby dark cherry with some sars, espresso coffee, and sage. A good long finish with a herbal note wraps it all up. It has all the stuffing to go well in the cellar for 3-4 years then drink well over the following 10. 94+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $130 Closure: Conventional Cork

Numanthia 2005

I drank this after getting home on Wednesday night, about 4 hours later than normal. A storm had taken out most of the public transport in Melbourne, as well as my fence! So something serious to drink was in order. I must say I prefer the style of the 05 to the 04, its more refined and less dark and brooding. The 05 is still very punchy, and by no means a light weight though. I quickly organised some for the cellar after tasting this one, I passed on the 04.

If you didn't know, the Eguren family sold this property to LMVH a couple of months ago. However, the current winemaking team are staying on for this year's vintage so we have a couple more vintages to look forward to under the current team. Not being the kind of people to kick back and blow the $25 million Euros on speedboats and parties with Paris Hilton , they've already got another Toro property in development and a couple of new ventures/improvements in their home base of Rioja. 

A beautiful nose of ceadery oak, mocha, violets and handful of berries: blueberry, blackberry dark cherry and black current. Very intense and complex in the mouth, well structured with powdery tannins, plenty of grip and excellent balance.  It almost feels light in on your tongue, but its flavour packed. Blackberry, dark cherry and mulberry fruit with added complexity from some mocha, earthy herbs, minerals and a touch of pepper. A luxurious finish. Outstanding as a drink now proposition, but will age gracefully until 2020. 96+ Pts.

Source: Toro/Woods Wines Price: Around $125  Closure: Conventional Cork 

Web:  www.eguren.com

Telmo Rodriguez Gago 2005

I had a bit of night out on Friday night (more than a bit actually) and needed something comfortable and familiar to slip into on Saturday night. I lit a fire, got some good solid cheese and decanted this around 5pm. By 8 it was ready to go. I've been thinking  about what is the best way to taste wine. A sip and spit or a long, slow glass. It depends on the wine to some extent, but I think the longer you have with the wine, the better you'll know it and the more you'll get out of it. Of course if you're tasting 6000 wines a year, there is no time for mucking around.  Luckily I don't have that problem. 
 

Telmo Rodríguez Dehesa Gago ‘G’ 2006

I've had a bit of a cold the last few days, but I've got a few notes up my sleeve from earlier in the week.  Its good to see a wine label with a bit of truth to it.  The Dehesa Gago front label usually has a bit of a tale about the vintage, this year its not a happy tale: a  mild winter, rainy spring, a good patch then a heatwave just before harvest to unbalance every thing.  But to their credit the wine comes out OK, not up to 04 or 05 but still worth buying and drinking.

Very dark in the glass with a hint of ruby towards the edge.   The nose offers up the classic cherry cola, with brambly undergrowth, some herbage and dried meat.  Meaty, but medium bodied with good balance, the tannins are restrained but chunky.  Quite a broad palate that shows really concentrated cherry, cola and pepper on the palate.  Good drinking now.  87 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $23 Closure: Conventional Cork

Bodega Numanthia-Termes Numanthia 2004

You'd think Toro was a new region given the press coverage lately, or the lack of in the past. But look at the vine age of a lot of the top wines and they're 40-100 years old.  The Tempranillo vines for this wine are 70-100 years, cropping very low at 1 tonne per acre.  The wine sees all new French oak for 19 months.

If you are after a subtle wine, this is probably not for you.  Yes it is big, powerful and rich.  But it isn't over the top, its well restrained, balanced and complex.  It has structure and all the elements to age very well.  Kind of like the mythical perfect man they talk about in magazines like Men's Health or Cleo.

Deep and dark in colour, you can see that it is going to stain your teeth.  The nose is chock full of aromas: roast meat, coffee, currents, blackberry, mocha, chocolate and cherry liqueur.  I could keep going, but it would be too much.  Starting off shy and medium bodied, this build with time in the glass to a luxurious, mouth coating, full bodied wine with loads of broad, soft tannins.  Constantly evolving in the decanter, there are flavours of dark cherries, black currents, slight pepper, chocolate, cola and minerals.  A lick of minerals on the long finish.  Put this in a cool, dark place for at least 5 years, then drink over the following 15.  If you can't wait, a big decant is in order.  95+ Pts.

Source:  Toro/Woods Wines Price: Around $125  Closure: Conventional Cork 

Web:  www.eguren.com

Telmo Rodriguez Gago 2004

I have a bit of a soft spot for this wine, it was one of the wines that turned me into a Spainophile.  It seems that the hot dry, climate with a bit of help from the tinto de toro clone of Tempranillo is perfect to produce some very full on wines with regionally and great character.

This is just a pup and needs a good decant.  Even after 2 hours it was constantly evolving.

Deep garnet red.  A very powerful nose of earth, undergrowth and blackberry to start with, time added some dark cherry, spice and coffee.  Full bodied, but well balanced with chunky, chewy tannins and a good hit of acid.  Dark and mysterious in the mouth, real depth of flavour with blackberry that moves on to dark cherry as time goes on, but the real interest is with with sarsaparilla, chocolate, white pepper and medicinal herbs that really get your senses going.  Drying tannins and minerals on the finish.  An intriguing wine, it won't be every one's cup of tea, but you like something a little off centre, this is right up your alley.  But bang it away in the cellar for at least 2 years first.  92 Pts.

Source: Rathdowne Cellars Price: $43 Closure: Conventional Cork

Bodegas y Vinedos Pintia 2002

Even though I'd had a look at this wine a week or so ago, I saw this in the cellar and thought that it would be perfect with an aged steak at La Luna.  And it was great with the aged rump steak, it even handled the horse radish.  We had a couple of nice chaps serving us, so we offered up a sample.  Their comment was "thats awesome", its great to see such passion.  

But first, a little bit of background on the wine.  This is Vega Sicilia's Toro project. Starting out in 1997, the VS team reworked the old vines on the property as well planting new ones.  Wine has been made here since 1997, but the first release was 2001.  The intervening years were used to trial blends, oak types and practically every other factor that effects the wine. 

The wine is 100% Tinto de Toro (the local clone of tempranillo) and is aged in 70% French and 30% American oak for 12 months then a further 24 months in bottle.  One of the key differences between the wine making of Alion and Pintia is that malo is performed in barrel for Pintia, Alion uses stainless steal.

Very deep red with a purple tint.  There is blackberry, dark cherry, espresso, sage and a little oak on the nose.  The first thing I notice in the mouth is the ripe, dark berry fruit, followed by liquorice, a bit of spice and leather.  The liquorice really stood out after an hour or so with added bit of star anise. As in my last look at this, there are some big tannins here, but they are tame and inviting.  The 14.5% alc is very well hidden and the overall impression is of a well integrated and well balanced wine. Perhaps I was being a bit hard marking it at 93 last time.  94 Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $78 Closure: Conventional Cork

Telmo Rodríguez Dehesa Gago ‘G’ 2005

According to the blurb on the front of the bottle, 2005 was the driest year on record in Toro, nothing more than a bit of due to keep the vines going.  As with many areas of Europe in 2005, the summer heat didn't make it to the scorching levels of 2003 and allowed for a slow growing period with very concentrated fruit. 

Interestingly, the 05 seems to be around a few bucks cheaper than the 04 at the moment.

Very similar in structure to the 04, the wine is dark and inky in the glass with a very forward nose featuring some dark cherry, salami and cola notes.  The palate is really where its at with this wine: it has quite a funky, meaty quality that I like, blackberry, a touch of herbs and nice smooth tannins. There is a good bit of acid that keeps the wine feeling fresh and savory. Just a touch better than the 04, a bit more fruit and funk at this stage. 89 Pts

 Source: Retail RRP: $24 Closure: Cork

Telmo Rodríguez Dehesa Gago ‘G’ 2004

A fun little wine this one. It is a joven style which sees no wood and is 100% Tinto de Toro, which in itself has a bit of a story. DNA test have shown that it is a clone of Tempranillo, however many still say that a lot of the older vines in Toro are actually Touriga Nacional. Who knows if this is true or not? I don't, but I do know it makes a very morish wine!

I like this style and this wine seems to be consistently good year-in, year-out. It is regularly discounted around town, so you should be able to find it cheaper than the RRP.

I drank this wine over two nights. The first night it was very primary and fresh. Intense dark cherry, animally/meaty on the nose with a toasty, savory palate with a bit of tannin impact. A nice finish. The second night it had improved slightly, smoother with the licorice and cinnamon coming to the fore on the palate. Very good.

88 Pts. Source: Retail RRP: $25 Closure: Cork