Vega Sicilia Pintia Toro 2020

95 Pts James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com 'Another combination of freshness and profoundness from Toro. Blackberries, graphite, ashtray, sandalwood, cocoa powder and dark olives on the nose. Fresh-veined, chalky tannins tighten the palate, with a nervy backbone. The tannins extend to a lengthy finish. Ripe but fresh. Drink from 2026.'

94 Pts Luis Gutierrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 'The 2020 Pintia is from a powerful year of concentration, so they were very careful with the harvest date, did a softer vinification trying to extract less and included amphorae and less toast in the élevage. It's opulent and juicy but gentle. The wine reached 15.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.9 with 4.4 grams of acidity. It fermented in stainless steel and oak vats with indigenous yeasts. It was a very warm and dry vintage in Toro, with a heat wave before the harvest, so they had to rush to pick the grapes; and still, the wine is richer and more powerful, even though the amphorae helped them contain the sensation of ripeness in the wine. It has a heady and ripe profile that's very aromatic and showy, with notes of very ripe berries, prunes and decayed violets, with a faint volatile twist. It matured 70% in new barrels, 10% in used barrels, 10% in stainless steel and 5% in clay pots. It's full-bodied and lush, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins. It's a ripe and powerful vintage for Pintia, but it evolves nicely in the glass, showing less of its ripe side with time, which to me is a good sign. Some 14,304 half bottles, 209,009 bottles, 6,645 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in August 2022.'

94 Pts Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous Media 'The 2020 Pintia is Tempranillo from Toro. It opens with fine plum, delicate spice, cherry, barrel notes and a hint of orange peel. A touch of jam adds to the warmth. Rich and intense, the palate is broad and textured with firm tannins. For a Toro, the mouthfeel is unusually smooth, with a core of red fruit. Nicely balanced.'

Vega Sicilia is the most prestigious wine estate in Spain - founded in the 1860s, it’s located in Ribera del Duero, two hours north of Madrid. In 1982 it was purchased by the Alvarez Family. 

'Pintia' is a distinct estate developed by the Alvarez family, situated on the banks of the Douro River within the Toro D.O., further west than Vega and closer to the Portuguese border. In 1997, the Alvarez family began acquiring old parcels of 'Tinta' vines. The area is notable for its large pebbles and rocks within the vineyards, which make cultivation extremely difficult but provide the ideal environment for the Tinta de Toro vines. Their first vintage was produced in 2001, with a new cellar completed in 2006 at San Román de Hornija. Toro's climatic environment is more extreme than RdD, resulting in 'Pintia' producing wines that are much more robust, opulent, and black-fruited than their Vega counterparts, yet equally intriguing!