Teso la Monja Victorino 2013
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Victorino was cropped from a rainy year from 35 hectares of head-pruned, ungrafted, organically farmed 70- to 100-year-old vineyards in the villages of Valdefinjas, Toro and Villabuena del Puente, planted on sandy soils rich in gravel and boulders with a clay subsoil with some limestone veins. They got 14 hectoliters per hectare in 2013 from grapes harvested on October 7, 8 and 11. The destemmed and crushed grapes were foot trodden during the eight days of fermentation with selected yeasts from their own vineyards. The post fermentative maceration lasted 21 days and the wine matured in brand new French barriques for 20 months, where it also underwent malolactic fermentation. During the élevage the wine was racked every four months. This is one of the freshest wines from the collection I tasted, a cuvée with less oak and great freshness, and therefore very good balance. Marcos Eguren agrees that 2013 is a very good and cold vintage in Toro, which resulted in wines that took some time to integrate tannins and acidity, but that have a little less alcohol and very good overall balance. The tannins are fine-grained, firm and fine, giving the wine good nerve. An elegant Toro within the natural power of the zone. The absence of rain in October, which is a constant in the region, could be responsible for the consistency across vintages there. This is the more approachable and drinkable wine from the collection today.
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Wine Enthusiast
Dark, roasted aromas of blackberry, black coffee, cola and cassis lead to a tannic, pounding palate. Oak-rich flavors of toffee, mocha, chocolate and pepper sit on top of blackberry and cassis, while a toasty, concentrated, tannic finish sends this out the door. This is a monster wine with class; drink 2018–2028.
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Wine Spectator
This red is plush yet dense, with ripe plum and currant fruit and toasty oak flavors that mingle over firm tannins and balsamic acidity. Powerful, in the modern style. Best from 2018 through 2028.
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Teso La Monja was founded in 2007 by Marcos and Miguel Angel Eguren, the fourth winemaking generation of the Eguren family from San Vicente de la Sonsierra in Rioja Alavesa. As they have been growing Tempranillo in Rioja Alavesa since the late 1800’s, the Eguren family fell in love with D.O. Toro when they first travelled there with Jorge Ordóñez, seduced by the region’s original clone of Tempranillo and ungrafted vines.
Jorge Ordóñez and the Eguren family were the original founders of Bodegas Numanthia, which was responsible, along with their current work, for the resurrection of D.O. Toro as one of Spain’s preeminent wine regions. After the sale of Numanthia in 2007, the Eguren family founded Teso La Monja as a new challenge for the family – finding the elegance in the wines of Toro.
The family selected vineyards in the northernmost part of D.O. Toro that have a much higher proportion of rounded stones than what is typical. This produces extremely silky, elegant wines. The winemaker, Marcos Eguren, is considered by many to be the finest winemaker in Spain. His son, Eduardo Eguren, the fifth generation, also works as the winemaker at Teso La Monja.
Notoriously food-friendly, long-lasting and Spain’s most widely planted grape, Tempranillo is the star variety of red wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone. Somm Secret—Tempranillo claims many different names depending on location. In Penedès, it is called Ull de Llebre and in Valdepeñas, goes by Cencibel. Known as Tinta Roriz in Portugal, Tempranillo plays an important role in Port wine.
Spain's remote, high elevation Spanish wine zone between the regions of Bierzo and Ribera del Duero produces intense, full-bodied reds made from Tempranillo, locally called Tinta de Toro. This local variant has adapted to the region’s climatic extremes and recognizing its potential, top producers from Ribera del Duero and Rioja have invested heavily in its vineyards.