Tempos Vega Sicilia Pintia 2021

Tempos Vega Sicilia Pintia 2021 is a powerful, elegant, and deeply concentrated Spanish red wine produced by Tempos Vega Sicilia in the Toro region. Sourced from old-vine Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) planted in pebbled, clay-rich soils, this cooler vintage yielded exceptional freshness and balance. The wine aged for 10 months in French and American oak barrels before resting further in bottle prior to release. In the glass, it displays an intense dark cherry color with violet nuances. The complex bouquet features expressive aromas of ripe blackberry, mission fig, cocoa powder, roasted spices, tar, and subtle Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, it is full-bodied and robust, bringing together tight, fine-grained tannins, juicy dark berry fruit, and a vibrant mineral acidity that carries through to a long, persistent finish.

Food Pairing: Pairs wonderfully with roasted lamb leg, braised beef short ribs, grilled ribeye steak, wild boar stew, and aged Manchego cheese.

95 Points - James Suckling

95 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The current release is the 2021 Pintia, for them an exceptional vintage in Toro, one of their finest to date. It was cropped from a cooler year when the wine has more freshness despite the 15% alcohol, with a pH of 3.83 and 4.7 grams of acidity. It fermented in stainless steel and oak vats and matured partly in stainless steel (15%), barrels and foudres with 75% new oak, for 11 months. Three episodes of rain in September really made the vintage, something unusual in the zone, putting the icing on the cake of a cooler year. The wine is always more powerful than the wines from Ribera or Rioja, with more oomph, density and abundant tannins but with very good balance and freshness. It's a Pintia for the long haul, like a 2018 with more weight.