Numanthia 2011

Bodega Numanthia was named in tribute to the town of Numancia, renowned in antiquity for its legendary resistance to Roman invasion. Under attack from raiding legions in 134 BC, the townspeople fought to the last, choosing death over the dishonour of surrender. How very 300! It has become a bit more civil these days; you would have to be mighty unlucky to get Spartan kicked anywhere in the Toro region. However, tenacity and resilience does seem to run in the soil, as many vines are over a 100 years old, surviving in the extreme heat of summer and the chill of winter. They don't just survive either, they thrive! Producing incredibly concentrated, intense wines with big flavours of forest berries, cedar and liquorice. "Numancians what is your profession!?" Winemaker of course.

Bodega Numanthia lies among hills sculpted by the River Duero in North-Western Spain, not far from the Portuguese border. The climate is extreme with hot, dry summers and cold winters, but these are tough, tenacious vines that resisted the phylloxera epidemic when it ravaged Europe’s vineyards in the 19th century. Wine has been made in Toro for over two thousand years. Tradition has it that a young wine grower may well be tending vines his great-grandfather planted.

The Tinta de Toro, from the Tempranillo family, is a grape variety that rewards meticulous vinification by revealing an intense, complex character. The wines are concentrated and powerful, their berry-fruit notes balanced by a silky, elegant texture. Bodega Numanthia’s first vineyards were planted in 1880, and today the estate continues to pioneer the rebirth of resilient Toro’s wines. Low yields provide concentrated fruit of remarkable intensity and power, carefully nurtured during vinification. 18 months' ageing in French oak brings balance and structure. Wood aromas on the nose are coupled with forest berries, cedar and liquorice in the mouth, closing with a long, silken finish.