This wine is 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) aged for 23 months in 225 liter French Oak barrique (70% new). This is another one of those stunning achievements by David Pastor Rodrigues from the Billon group. The intense opaque-black hue yields a fragrance of acacia flowers and black raspberry liqueur. This is not your timid Tempranillo but a deeply concentrated, luxurious red that is pleasurable at every turn. Within the depth of this wine is blueberry compote and macerated blackberries fused with molten dark chocolate fudge, an underpinning of freshly brewed espresso and hints of ground vanilla bean. Baking spices are noticeably present throughout and there is a touch of cream in the background alongside the polished tannins. It all adds up to a wonderfully complex and balanced wine that may still require a few years of aging.

By W Peter Hoyne