Bodegas Elías Mora, Toro (Castilla y León, Spain) La Senda del Los Lobos “Gran Elías Mora Añada Singular” 2018 ($90, Grapes of Spain / Aurelio Cabestrero)

Made entirely from the Tinta de Toro strain of Tempranillo grown in a single, high-elevation vineyard with 80-year-old vines, this is an extraordinary wine. The yields are miniscule whereas the concentration of the resulting wine is impressive, yet it doesn’t come across as “thick” or physically heavy. Despite being aged entirely in new oak barrels, the fruit has largely soaked up the overt wood notes already, with almost nothing but the wood-induced accents of toast and spices showing from the cooperage. Dark berry fruit is beautifully ripened, and though the back label shows a stated 15% alcohol, the wine neither smells nor finishes hot. On the contrary, there’s still a lot of bright, primary fruit running the sensory show in this, with savory undertones of cocoa powder showing in the very long, symmetrical finish. This will improve over a long span, but if decanted or aerated and served with robust food, it is eminently enjoyable now.
95 Michael Franz