It was logical that if the García clan were to expand its sphere of operations that the dusty, over-hot and still very rural Toro DO – not such a major stone’s throw away, on the other side of Valladolid – should be the location for a second venture; for although in vogue for many years, few - except Vega Sicilia, with its most accomplished but invariably short-lived Pintia - have managed to tame the savage quality of its Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo yet again, adapted to the extreme local terroir) and produce anything of finesse.
Releasing their first vintage in 1997 – on the basis of old vineyards bought and contracted
long-term , together with ‘premises’ borrowed until completion of their very own functional , all mod-cons winery (echoes of the South Bank) in Villaester in 2001– the family’s flagship wine is San Román.
This inky, marvellously intense and fresh, exuberantly mineral and black-fruit scented blockbuster is made from old (80 to 100-year old vine) Tinta de Toro grown primarily on pebbles, spends anywhere between 18 and 22 months in newish French and American barriques depending on vintage and unravels quite spectacularly.
The 03 was alluringly feminine, the current 04 is much more intense:
The 2004 San Roman, 100% Tinta de Toro, was aged for 22 months in French and American oak, mostly new, prior to bottling without filtration. It is purple-colored with a lovely perfume of toasty oak, mineral, spice box, violet, lavender, and blackberry. Sweet, layered, and structured, this muscular effort will evolve for 5-7 years in the cellar and drink well through 2025.
and the 2005, due for release in the Autumn, will be a half-way house: dark, of course, but juicy and semi-approachable – the equivalent of a masculine 03…
Meantime, a surprise: Prima.
Prima is a much lighter style thus far available only for the US market; but with production of the 06 vintage around 100,000 bottles, we have some 300 cases to play with for experimental introduction into the UK market.
Here is what Stephen Tanzer thought about the 05:
"(95% tempranillo and 5% garnacha) Youthful purple. Spicy cherry and dark chocolate aromas are underscored by zesty minerals and orange zest. Sweet raspberry and kirsch flavors are impressively pure and deep, showing an energetic personality. Gains sweetness on the long, spicy finish. This outstanding value offers the complexity of wines costing much more. 90 points."
"This consistently fine wine is a winner once again in 2005. Dark and quite rich, it is impressively concentrated, with delicious fruit recalling black cherries and plums. Perfectly ripened, it is soft and round but still structured by fine-grained tannins, which a restrained dose of oak." 89 pts, Wine Review Online, Issue 0735, August 28, '07
At approximately one-third of the price of San Román, the 06 Prima is – by Toro standards at least – light(er), fresh(er), slightly eucalyptoid and bursting with zippy, approachable black fruit.
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