Numanthia

Wine information: The Numanthia estate lies near the small village of Valdefinjas, in the province of Zamora. The estate was founded in 1998 by the Eguren family, from the Rioja region. From the start, the aim of Marcos and Miguel Eguren was to produce the best wine from Toro. Numanthia owns 49 hectares of vines in the communes of Valdefinjas and Toro. Of these, 20 hectares are planted with vines aged between 70 and 100 years old, and there is another exceptional plot of 4.8 hectares, on the commune of Argujillo, whose vines were planted over 120 years ago. Complementary supplies of grapes come from traditional growers whose low-yielding vineyards are all at least 50 years old. These grapes contribute to the two wines called Numanthia and Termes. The estate’s signature wine is Numanthia. Numanthia’s style relies on a selection of exceptional ungrafted old vineyards, with vines aged more than 50 years. These low yielding vines offer, year after year, extreme grapes concentration, fruit intensity and structure. Solidly built, with tannins that are both sharp and well integrated, Numanthia expresses power, precision and persistence. Harvesting is carried out manually and there is a rigorous selection of grapes at the winery. Numanthia is fermented for 9 days with 2 daily pump-overs at a controlled temperature between 26 and 28º C. There is then an Extended maceration on skins for 18 days with light pump-overs. The wine undergoes malaolactic fermentation in barrel andis then aged for in new French oak Bordelaise barrels for 18 months. Tinta de Toro is the local Toro name for Tempranillo.

Tasting Notes: Numanthia is a deep dark bright red colour with light ruby tones. the nose shows both intense and complex, there are several layers of aromatics in this lively nose: first some extremely intense notes of red and black fruits (black sherries, raspberries, redcurrants and cassis), perfectly integrated with sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper) vanilla and toasted characters. The palate shows impressive fruit expression, concentrated and velvety tannins, leading to a velvety and lively full body mouthfeel. Long and elegant on the finish with an extremely wide range of aromas, like dark fruits, cocoa, toasted and spicy notes, highlights the complexity and handcraft character of this wine.

Reviews: "This alluring red packs of lot of flavor into a plush texture, with boysenberry, floral, cinnamon, licorice and smoke notes. It's firm, fresh and balanced, with a long, focused finish" 93 Points, Wine Spectator

"The 2007 Numanthia is marginally more approachable but it, too, is a dense, layered, voluminous, structured wine. Given the requisite cellaring, it will eventually become both elegant and powerful" 94+ Points, Wine Addvocate

 
     

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