Bodega Elias Mora, Toro (Castilla y León, Spain) “Descarte” 2019 ($65, Grapes of Spain / Aurelio Cabestrero)

This bodega run by Victoria Benavides is among my favorites in all of Spain, producing amazingly consistent wines every year—yet also bottlings that are distinct from one another stylistically (not so easy). The keys to this wine are its north-facing growing site (resulting in less direct sun exposure and less rapid ripening) and harvesting for freshness rather than abundant sugars in the fruit (which of course are converted to alcohol during fermentation). This still weighs in at 15% alcohol by volume, so we’re still talking about Toro here rather than Beaujolais in terms of physical density and flavor impact, to be sure. However, we’re also talking about Toro that shows gracefulness as well as sheer power, which again is not so easy. Currently at 5.5 years since the fruit was on the vine, this has settled into a well-integrated stage in its development, with the wood not seeming distinct from the fruit and producing a push-and-pull between the two. The texture is now quite soft, as the tannins have settled into the fruity sweetness at the core of the wine, rather than seeming like an “additive” in the way that un-integrated oak can seem. The end result is a wine of precise proportions and inner harmony, with years of additional aromatic complexity ahead of it, but nothing harsh at all to preclude immediate enjoyment with a meal of, say, roasted rack of lamb. If my score is off, it is off on the low side. Very highly recommended.
94 Michael Franz