Pintia 2009

It seems like only yesterday that we presented the 2011, the first Pintia harvest, and since then it has continued to blaze a trail. Bodegas Viñedos Pintia is the Alvarez family’s fourth business, the third in the Castille region. It is located in San Román de Hornija, north of the river Duero, within the Toro denominación area, the potential of which they spotted in the late 90’s. The family gradually acquired old vineyards to build up its current 106 hectares and began working on producing a meaty wine with aging potential and the undisputable stamp of the Vega Sicilia style, elegant and honest, avoiding over-maturation and unnecessary heat, no easy task in Toro, but which has given we Toro fans so much joy.

Appearance

Strong, cherry red hue. Fine, slow moving tears.

Nose

Ripe, with black fruit and balsamic notes. Toasty hints which are not unpleasant and add complexity.

Palate

Powerful, medium full, with very crisp acidity. The tannin is still very apparent and it requires a little longer in bottle. Lush black fruit. Long and full of flavour. Earthy aromas on the finish.

Comment

We like Pintia 2009. This wine is sexy. A far cry from the muscular wines surrounding it, we love this wine because it shows unusual delicacy for a Toro, because it respects the fruit, and because of the pleasure we expect to get from seeing how it improves year after year. It took only14 months in the barrel to tame it ... and further ageing in bottle has also helped it. Although it can be enjoyed now, it is a clear example of a wine for aging and especially this vintage, illustrating the winemaking skill of Xavier Ausás, the family’s technical group manager since 1992. Without doubt, Pintia is already a great wine of the Spanish wine scene. Try it with a skewer of tender veal and see how you enjoy the experience.