A big, bold Tempranillo from Toro, Spain…
Name: Numanthia
Vintage: 2011
Producer: Numanthia
Region/Country: Toro, Spain
Grape Varietal(s): Tempranillo
Alcohol Level: 14.5%
Consumed: At home
Recommended By: Picked it off the shelf at the Heathrow Airport Duty Free
Cost: $69.00 CAD at the LCBO
Bottle Presentation: An interesting combination of gothic and Egyptian styles with a modern, distinctive “N.”
Appearance: Clear, deep garnet
Nose: Clean, medium intensity nose, with charred wood, leather, vanilla, anise, smokiness, and grilled meat with a hint of hickory.
Palate: Dry, with a medium body, high acidity, and prominent, drying tannins. Flavours included sour red cherries, aged cheese, grilled steak, earth, anise, and graphite.
Finish: A long finish with sour cherries and earth.
Overall Impressions: We enjoyed this bold, powerful Spanish red, which offered plenty of balance, complexity, and length. Although we detected some red cherry notes, secondary and tertiary notes dominated the nose and mouth. Although a little expensive compared to some similar offerings, we’d consider this a very good wine, which is probably best poured now. Parmesan cheese brought out more cherry and vanilla notes, whereas smoked applewood cheddar cheese brought enticed notes of grilled meat. We could see this wine pairing beautifully with grilled meat, especially steak.
Rating: 92/100
E-Wine rating: 3/5 (We would purchase one bottle of this wine to drink now)
Value: 2/5