You might imagine that a wine from somewhere called Toro (trans. bull) would be pretty powerful. You wouldn’t be wrong. Think Toro wines, think red wines with plenty of muscle. These wines are intensely and deeply fruity with great tannic structure that will age very gracefully indeed.
The wines are made from Spain’s native grape (Tempranillo) but a particular strain of Tempranillo called Tinta de Toro. At 600 to 750m above sea level, the Toro region is high in altitude and very dry with huge swings in temperature from very hot during summer days and cold again at night. All of which means the grapes get plenty of sunlight which allows them to develop lots of flavour and concentration but are cooled every day to keep freshness in the wines and stop the grapes turning into raisins.
Dominio del Bendito (the blessed domaine) is owned by a Frenchman by the name of Antony Terryn who did a considerable amount of travelling in France, Chile, Portugal and the US before finding his own idea of vineyard perfection here in Toro in Castilla y Leon. The vineyards he fell in love with are home to some fabulous old vines, a proportion of which were planted before the second half of the 19th century. These incredibly mature vines yield top quality fruit that lends concentration and longevity to the wines.
He has been winning awards and gaining fans ever since and we are delighted to have these fantastic wines in our portfolio. You might want to pay a visit to your butcher in preparation....
Dominio del Bendito El Primo Paso 2011, £14.95
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100% Tinta de Toro from a mix of old and young vines to achieve a balance of youthful fruitiness and structure. The wine is created to be soft enough to be drunk and enjoyed as soon as it is released but will age very nicely for 5-10 years for anyone patient enough to do so. The wine is aged for around 6 months in a mixture of American and French oak to give complexity and balance.
Dominio del Bendito Las Sabias 2009, £19.95
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100% Tinta de Toro only from old vines (45-80 years old) which are ungrafted, pre-phylloxera rootstocks giving low yields. The wine is aged for 16 months in French oak. The wine is beautifully balanced with lots of intense, deep fruit, complexity, tannic structure and elegance and drinks very well after 2 or 3 years in bottle. It will develop very nicely in bottle for another 8-15 years.
