Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 79

IMPORTED NEW RELEASES
92 | Numanthia

$30

2014 Toro Termes ^ Termes is a selection of
Numanthia's younger vines, in this case,
averaging 40 years old. This is a little monster, full of red fruit, spice and oak, as well
as vibrant acidity to balance its size. It needs
lamb chops, or a decade in the bottle, to find
a Zen balance. § Moët Hennessy USA, NY
228819

91 | San Román

$65

2014 Toro Maurodos ^ Mariano García, one
of the pioneers of contemporary Toro, seeks
finesse in an area where red wines with brutal power are the norm. This wine has the
sweetness and the unctuous flavors of fruit
grown under the region's intense sun, even
as its texture is silky and round. Its flavors
of strawberry and cherry are ripe and expansive. § Grapes of Spain, Lorton, VA
228945

91 | Teso La Monja

$120

2015 Toro Alabaster ^ Alabaster is a selection
from three vineyards planted more than 100
years ago. It's exuberant, from the warmth of
its alcohol and the strength of its chocolaterich tannins to the density of its black and
red fruit. The wine's layers unfold as it develops with air. It's built for powerful and spicy
food. § Fine Estates from Spain, Dedham, MA
229602

90 | 4Mil Cepas

$16

90 | Matarredonda

$28

2015 Toro (Best Buy) ^ An unusually light and
refreshing Toro wine, this has agility in its
acidity and tannins that invites you to chill
down the bottle and drink it on a hot summer day. Fruity and vivacious, it's a wine for
a plate of grilled sausages. § Tradewinds Specialty Imports, Washington, DC
229616
2010 Toro Juan Rojo ^ With its ripe flavors
of sweet red fruit and cinnamon-clove spice,
this has both the strength and the voluptuousness of Toro wines. Tannins drive the
finish while acidity keeps the wine refreshing
in the midst of a storm of generous ripeness.
It's a snapshot of tempranillo from the arid
side of Castilla y León. § Wine Universe, NY

VINO DE LA TIERRA DE
CASTILL A Y LEON
228842

91 | Leda

$45

2014 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León
Viñas Viejas Tempranillo ^ Waves of oak and
ripe fruit permeate this wine, but as it opens
in the glass, notes of tart red berries provide balance. A substantial red, this needs at
least five years to develop. This is a selection
from old vines in Toro and Ribera del Duero. §
Hidalgo Imports, Miami, FL
229270

91 | Vizcarra

$50

2015 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León
Selección Monovarietal Garnacha ^ A wave
of earthy flavors comes first; then the wine
fills with rich blackberry and strawberry ripeness. Its firm tannins and bright acidity will
take on roast suckling pig. Vizcarra is one
of the few wineries in Ribera del Duero to
produce a 100 percent garnacha, in this case
from a ten-year-old vineyard. § Olé Imports, NY
229320

90 | Daniel Gómez
Jimenez-Landi

TA N N A T

$90

2015 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León
Las Iruelas El Tiemblo ^ On the sweet and
juicy side of garnacha, this fills its broad texture with floral notes, spice and sweet fruit.
This comes from vineyards planted at 3,280
feet in the Sierras de Gredos. § Eric Solomon
Selections/European Cellars, Charlotte, NC
229367

88 | Matarromera

its complexity. § Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits, Petaluma, CA

$17

2016 Cigales Val de los Frailes Roble (Best
Buy) ^ With notes of chocolate and exotic
spice, this is a sunny tempranillo, generously
ripe while maintaining balance thanks to its
firm tannins. It's ready for a meaty sausage
pizza. § USA Wine West, Sausalito, CA

URU GUAY RED

122588

93 | Bodega Garzón

$30

2016 Garzón Single Vineyard Tannat ^
Bodega Garzón planted its first 15 acres of
vines in 2008, that hillside now the source of
this wine. The strength of tannat is clearly
expressed in the wine's firm tannins, followed
by an avalanche of red fruit, ripe and lasting. Acidity provides freshness and tension
and makes this ideal now with chivito-the
Uruguayan steak sandwich with mozzarella,
tomatoes and olives-though this red will
continue to develop in the bottle. § Pacific
Highway Wines & Spirits, Petaluma, CA

BLEND

122693

91 | Bodega Garzón

122697

94 | Bodega Garzón

$120

2015 Garzón Balasto ^ This winery farms
540 acres on gentle hills 11 miles from the
Atlantic, just west of the coastal village of
Garzón. Its vineyards are divided into more
than 1,500 plots, according to the soils (based
on granite) and the orientation towards the
sun. Balasto is a selection of the best of these
plots, a blend of tannat (45 percent) with cabernet franc, petit verdot and marselan. Tannat's austerity and strength provide black
fruit and lighter floral touches while, overall,
the blend is deliciously juicy, with the freshness of Uruguayan wines that look towards
the sea. This is a young, ambitious red that
needs at least five years in the bottle to show

$30

2015 Garzón Single Vineyard Tannat ^ An
exuberant vintage for this wine, this seems
to have absorbed Garzón's sun to deliver
ripe and unctuous flavors of blackberries and
cherries. The wine's tannins are firm and austere, though not as fierce as you might expect
from the variety. It's in fact a tame tannat,
with a delicious fruity core. § Pacific Highway
Wines & Spirits, Petaluma, CA n

WINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2018

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2018
