Two classy Spanish reds

cabernet sauvignon spain wine reviews

Two classy Spanish reds

I’m painfully aware that while I’ve focused in-depth on Portugal, I’ve  neglected Spain. I’m sorry about that. In an attempt to begin to redress this balance, here are two rather classy high-end Spanish reds, in rather different styles.

Numanthia Toro 2007 Spain
From ungrafted old vineyards of 50 years and older. 14.5% alcohol. Dense with sweet, ripe blackberry fruit and some earthy, savoury, spicy tarry structure. As well as the chocolatey richness there’s some dry, savoury earthiness, finishing with some drying tannins. I like the way that the sweet fruit and new oak is countered by ample structure and a distinctive savouriness, which saves it from spoofiness, the besetting sin of ambitious Spanish reds. This might age very well. 92/100

Torres Mas La Plana Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Penedes, Spain
14% alcohol. This classic label is a real vin de garde – an ageworthy red that doesn’t show its best young. Nicely focused gravelly, spicy blackcurrant and cherry fruit is to the fore. Fresh with real focus. There’s good structure here with a hint of earthiness alongside the mouth-drying tannins. Taut and structured with nice definition, this will really start to show its best in five years and will probably keep for 20. 92/100

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

1 Comment on Two classy Spanish redsTagged , , ,
wine journalist and flavour obsessive

One thought on “Two classy Spanish reds

  1. Hi Jamie,

    Nice to see the Numanthia – I recently had the 2004 in a blind tasting and it took the tasters almost ten minutes before ending up in Spain! It had such an intriguing mineral character I rarely find in Spanish reds. In my world maybe not as great as Jay Miller thinks but still a wonderful wine! Had it?

    Best,

    Niklas J

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