Teso La Monja Toro Victorino 2014

The 2014 Victorino was also bottled and ready for tasting. 2014 was harvested earlier than 2013, it was more of a ‘normal’ year and the gapes were picked between September 12th and 29th, with slightly higher yields at 16.5 hectoliters per hectare. The aging was shortened to 18 months, still in 100% new French oak barrels, where the wine also went through malolactic fermentation and was racked every four months. They also consider 2014 a cool vintage for the region, but clearly a tad riper than 2013. The fruit gravitates a little towards black fruit, quite spectacular and focused, with nicely integrated spices from the élevage. The palate is medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins, perhaps coated by glossier fruit that give it a little more volume. This is accessible already, but should improve in bottle. 40,000 bottles produced.

I tasted with Marcos Eguren, who considers 2013 and 2014 easier vintages in Toro than in Rioja, two years that produced wines with great freshness. The wines are powerful, faithful to the style of the place, but also searching for elegance. The oak is much better integrated than in the past, and it feels like the cooler vintages are much better for that; a wine from 2012 was distinctly oakier than any of the 2013s or 2014s, even if those were much younger and some of them very recently bottled. The 2014s are lusher and rounder, and the 2013s are fresher and more vertical. These are wines for fans of the style, they tend to be similar and have the same profile, so the price difference is sometimes hard to justify, but within that style, they are among the best. You need patience and/or powerful food… or both!