Teso La Monja Toro Almirez 2014

More expensive is their 2014 Almirez, which spends much longer time in oak and comes from vines 15-65 years old in slightly higher elevations. I didn’t see much difference in this wine from its less-expensive sibling, although this one had more grilled meat and almost Provençal, Châteauneuf Du Pape-like blood characteristics, with blackberry and cassis, full body and a long, lusty finish. Some licorice also makes an appearance in this impressively constituted wine. Drink it over the next decade.

Here are two terrific efforts from the moderately sized appellation of Toro. These are big, flavorful, pedal-to-the-metal style of dry red wines, both made from 100% Tinto de Toro. The Romanico is aged six months in used French oak and the Almirez partially fermented in barrel and aged for 14 months prior to bottling.