Tenacity in the Toro
2006 Numanthia Termanthia
Over 120-Year-Old Vines; Under $120 a Bottle
The last 20 years have seen the Toro appellation explode from unknown esoterica to a young, budding international celebrity. But the vines aren't young; many are well-over a century old. The quality of these raw materials is epic...
This tranche is in stock and ready for shipment or deliveries next week. Buy one for dinner next weekend, or buy a case to cellar for decades to come.
Numanthia came onto the Toro scene in 1998, a decade after the DO (Denominación de Origine) was created. In his review for their first wine, Parker promised that Numanthia would be a "breakthrough for the Toro appellation." It was.
His scores on Numanthia and the estate's even more prestigious Termanthia couldn't help but support the prophesy, but, to be sure, the estate and the quality of its wines can certainly stand on their own.
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Specifically, the vineyards stand at an elevation of about 2,300 feet, their phenomenally old roots stretching 120 years deep into the clayey, sandy and calcareous soils of the cliff that overlooks the Duero river, which divides the land into Spain on the east and Portugal on the west. As the estate trumpets, "If great wine is all about balance, then the quest for that balance starts in the vineyard." Here, the balance starts with tenacious, ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines, never wiped out by the louse and now contributing to the world the tiniest yields of concentrated, intense juice.
The results are big, bold swaths of "brooding black fruits, wood smoke, pencil lead, tar, espresso, and blackberry," says Jay Miller, Wine Advocate's main man in Spain. This speaks directly to the extremities of the land and its climate, an arid region with very hot days, cold nights, and not much rainfall.
The aging potential of such giants is phenomenal - 20 to 30 years seems about right for this 2006. While the fruit and minerality is tightly packed currently, the tannins are silky enough to approach now without reprimand, and the sneak peak of what's in store for this wine is certainly thrilling.
As the weather starts to turn cold and the pickings at the farmers market edge towards ever more squash and root vegetables, our mind is on stocking up on sturdy reds to pair with roasts and stews.
While this bottle may not be a casual weeknight standby, it'll certainly come in handy for the steady string of dinner parties in the near future - and for the gift-giving that goes hand-in-hand with them. Today's pricing makes this a steal and certainly something to stock up on.
To place your order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Robert Schagrin
Managing Partner
Crush Wine & Spirits
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Wine is in stock Monday!
NET | No further discount