95 Wine Enthusiast

"We would not have expected anything to match the stellar 2004 San Roman, but this newest vintage is up to the task. It`s opaque as midnight without a moon, and the nose is a delectable blend of vanilla, spice, hickory, mocha and meaty blackberry. The palate is both magnetic and sly; it pumps black fruit galore, but augments things with controlled chocolate and spice. Finishes a mile long, with cream, intensity and guile. This wine does not mess around. Best from 2010–2016." -95 points Wine Enthusiast

"The 2005 San Roman is 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) sourced from the estate's older, higher elevation vineyards. It was aged for 23 months in a mix of new French oak and seasoned American oak and bottled without filtration. Opaque purple-colored, it gives up a superb perfume of pain grille, pencil lead, mineral, spice box, espresso, and wild black cherry. Layered on the palate, it has tons of succulent fruit, plenty of spice, underlying tannin, outstanding concentration, and a lengthy finish. This muscular effort demands 6-8 years of additional bottle age and will offer prime drinking from 2016 to 2030. Maurodos is operated by the renowned Mariano Garcia." -92 points- Jay Miller- Wine Advocate

"Vivid ruby. Brooding aromas of blackberry, cherry-cola, flowers and smoky minerals. Strikingly sweet and seductive on the palate, which offers deep, palate-staining red and dark berry compote character and hints of vanilla and brown spices. Fine-grained tannins frame the fruit and add structure to the long, impressively pure and spicy finish, which repeats the floral and mineral notes. Sexy stuff and delicious right now." -92 points- Josh Raynolds- International Wine Cellar

"Black currant and cola flavors are open and sweet in this round, plush red. It has dense, well-integrated tannins and just enough acidity for balance. An international style. Drink now through 2015. 7,250 cases made." -91 points Wine Spectator

More about this wine!
Mariano Garcia`s interest in Toro began in 1995, studying various terroirs with different mesoclimates and the characteristics and potential of the Tinta de Toro and Garnacha grape varieties. The purpose of these experiments was to get powerful yet elegant wines with subtle tannins and alcohol-acidity balance.

Harvested at 30% lower yields than other recent vintages and two weeks earlier than normal due to the drought conditions in central Spain. Older vineyards and those at higher elevations showed more complete and regular ripening. All fruit was hand harvested with varieties and vineyards being vinified separately to respect the characteristics of the different terroirs. The wine was fermented / macerated for 20 days and aged for 23 months in new French oak and semi-new American oak barrels. Bottled without filtration.

More about this winery: Bodegas y Vinedos Maurodos owns 55 hectares in the villages of Villaester and San Roman de Hornija, planted mainly with Tinta de Toro, which come from the same family as Tempranillo, but adapted to Toro over centuries. This adaptation has lead to smaller berries which in turn lead to deeper color and more intense aroma and structure than typical of Tempranillo from other regions. It is possible to separate two different soil areas, in Villaester the soil has sand and clay with some gravels, while in San Roman the soil is more stony. Grapes mature sooner in San Roman than Villaester. The vines range in age up to 70 years old and are pruned to grow as bushes rather than on vertical trellises. On the vines the grapes hang low under a rounded canopy of leaves that protects them from scorching summer temperatures. This type of pruning concentrates the flavor of the grapes as it naturally limits the yield of grapes for each vine.