Bodega Numanthia 2016
Bodega Numanthia 2016 is a critically acclaimed powerhouse from ancient Toro vines, delivering an intense and elegant symphony of ripe dark fruits, complex spices, and velvety tannins
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2016
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Bodega Numanthia 2016
A captivating expression of Toro’s power and elegance, hailing from venerable vines aged between 50 and 100 years. In the glass, it presents a deep, ripe cherry-red hue with vibrant ruby reflections, hinting at the intensity to come. The nose is immediately expressive and complex, drawing you in with an alluring bouquet of ripe red and black fruits – think succulent raspberries, sweet blueberries, and rich blackcurrants.
These fruit-forward notes are beautifully interwoven with intriguing layers of smoky embers, wild garrigue herbs, and a sophisticated backdrop of sweet spices like clove, cinnamon, and a touch of black pepper. Subtle floral hints of violet and nuances of cocoa, tobacco leaf, and fine leather add further depth and anticipation.
Upon the first sip, the Numanthia 2016 makes a grand entrance. It begins with a surprisingly soft and inviting attack that swiftly swells to fill the palate with remarkable intensity and a generous, voluminous texture. The tannins, though powerful and characteristic of its Toro provenance, are exceptionally well-matured, velvety, and seamlessly integrated, providing a firm yet refined structure.
A symphony of flavours unfolds, echoing the aromatic promises: luscious dark fruit compote, hints of cherry and plum, intertwined with notes of dark chocolate, toasted oak, and a persistent spiciness. There’s a beautiful balance struck between its inherent richness, a refreshing acidity, and emerging mineral undertones that speak of its unique terroir.
The finish is long, complex, and thoroughly satisfying, leaving a lasting impression of polished elegance and lingering notes of sweet spice, dark fruit, and a whisper of graphite. This is a wine of significant depth and character, showcasing both the intensity of the Tinta de Toro grape and the meticulous winemaking of Bodega Numanthia. Ready to be enjoyed now, it also possesses the structure and balance to evolve gracefully for many years to come, making it a true benchmark for the Toro designation.
Crafting a wine as expressive and powerful as the Bodega Numanthia 2016 is a meticulous journey that begins in the ancient, resilient vineyards of Toro, Spain. This wine is born from 100% Tinta de Toro grapes, sourced from exceptional, ungrafted vines with an impressive age, typically ranging from 50 to over 100 years old. These venerable, low-yielding plants are deeply rooted in the region’s diverse terroirs, cultivated with organic and dry-farming practices across numerous small parcels.
This commitment to sustainable viticulture ensures grapes of extreme concentration and character. The 2016 vintage benefited from a cooler, rainier spring and summer, leading to a later harvest between late September and early October. This allowed the grapes to reach optimal ripeness and perfect health, carefully hand-harvested with rigorous selection of only the finest clusters.
Once in the winery, the grapes for Numanthia 2016 underwent a precise vinification process designed to capture their inherent quality. After being fully destemmed, the grapes enjoyed a cold pre-fermentation maceration for approximately four days, allowing for gentle extraction of colour and aromatics. Alcoholic fermentation then commenced, driven by selected yeasts and lasting for about a week, with daily pumping-overs to carefully manage extraction from the skins.
Temperatures were diligently controlled to preserve the fruit’s integrity and complexity. Following this, an extended period of maceration on the skins, with gentle pigeage (cap punching), further enhanced the wine’s structure and depth before the completion of malolactic fermentation, which typically occurs in stainless steel tanks for Numanthia.
The final stage in shaping the Numanthia 2016’s distinctive profile is its maturation. The wine was aged for a considerable 18 months exclusively in French oak barrels. A thoughtful combination of barrel sizes, including traditional 225-litre barriques and often larger 400-litre or 600-litre barrels, was employed. Reflecting a desire for both structure and finesse, approximately 60% of these oak barrels were new, imparting toasty complexity and spice, while the remaining 40% were second-use, allowing the profound fruit character to remain at the forefront.
During this extended aging period, the wine was racked every four months, a traditional practice that helps to clarify the wine and soften its tannins. Finally, after this patient maturation, the 2016 Numanthia was bottled in June 2018, with around 80,000 bottles produced, ready to begin its journey to cellars and tables around the world.
Bodega Numanthia: Legendary Wines from the Heart of Toro
Founded in 1998 in Spain’s historic Toro region, Bodega Numanthia crafts exceptional wines that embody the spirit of resilience, much like the ancient city of Numancia that inspires its name.
At the core of Numanthia’s acclaim are its incredibly old, ungrafted Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) vines – some up to 200 years old. These remarkable vineyards survived the phylloxera plague and today yield grapes of intense concentration and character, grown in the region’s distinctive sandy, rocky soils.
Since its acquisition by the prestigious LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2008, Numanthia has continued to elevate its reputation for world-class Spanish wine.
Bodega Numanthia is committed to sustainable and organic viticulture, ensuring the health of its ancient vineyards for generations to come. While known for their power, the wines have evolved to express a refined elegance, capturing the unique terroir of Toro. Discover the compelling story and unforgettable taste of Bodega Numanthia.
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is a very old, thick skinned grape variety with deep colour. It’s the fourth most planted grape variety in the world and the most widely planted red variety in its native Spain. In fact, the name Tempranillo actually comes from the Spanish word temprano, meaning “early”, in reference to the early ripening of the grapes in comparison to other varietals. While Tempranillo is the dominant Spanish grape, it’s primarily used for blending with other varieties including Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, to create a wonderfully balanced red wines, such as those from Rioja.
- James Suckling: Awarded an impressive 95 points, praising it as a “dense, layered red with berry, chocolate and walnut character. It’s full-bodied and very luscious with power and richness, but shows some reserve and lots of polish at the end.” Some sources also noted a 96-point score from James Suckling in 2019.
- Wine Spectator: Scored the 2016 vintage at 93 points, describing it as an “expressive red marked with layers of cherry coulis, tangerine, toast and anise notes supported by full, refined tannins and details of wild herb, loamy earth and mineral. Powerful and luxurious in feel.”
- Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: The 2016 Numanthia received 93 points from Luis Gutiérrez (June 2021), who found it “balanced and serious, with integrated oak and a soft palate with round tannins,” noting it as a significant improvement over some previous vintages.
- Guía Peñín: This respected Spanish wine guide awarded the 2016 vintage 94 points, highlighting its complex and expressive aromatics and full-bodied, long palate.
- Decanter World Wine Awards: The wine achieved a score of 91 points in the Decanter World Wine Awards, a significant recognition from this international competition.
- Revista Adega: This publication also rated it highly with 94 points (tasted in August 2023).
- Grandes Escolhas: Awarded it 18.5 out of 20 points (tasted in March 2022).
- Tastingbook: Aggregated critic scores also show a high average, with Tastingbook itself noting a 94/100 for the Numanthia 2016
- Contains Sulphites
- Contains Yeast/Yeast Extracts
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The Country
Spanish wines are a tapestry of rich flavors and storied traditions, deeply rooted in the country’s diverse landscapes. From the sun-drenched plains of La Mancha to the verdant valleys of Galicia, each region imparts its own distinct character to the wines produced. The noble Tempranillo grape reigns supreme in the prestigious Rioja and Ribera del Duero, where it is transformed into wines that balance fruit intensity with earthy depth.
Meanwhile, the effervescent Cava sparkles with vivacity from Catalonia, and the complex Sherry from Jerez intrigues with its spectrum from dry to sweet. Spanish winemakers honor their heritage through meticulous aging classifications, from the youthful Vinos Jovenes to the venerable Gran Reservas, ensuring each bottle tells a story of time and terroir. This dedication to quality is safeguarded by stringent laws, preserving the legacy of Spanish wines as a cherished embodiment of the nation’s spirit and soil.
The Region
Located in Castilla y León, northwestern Spain, the Toro DO is famed for its intense and characterful red wines. With a winemaking history dating back to pre-Roman times, Toro’s wines even journeyed with Columbus. Its hero grape, Tinta de Toro (a unique Tempranillo clone), thrives in the region’s continental climate of hot, dry summers and cold winters, cultivated in sandy, high-altitude vineyards.
Many of Toro’s vines are ancient and ungrafted, having survived phylloxera. These old vines yield grapes of incredible concentration, resulting in robust, deeply coloured wines with dark fruit flavours and firm tannins, capable of excellent aging. While traditionally known for sheer power, modern Toro winemaking increasingly balances this strength with elegance and a clearer expression of terroir, attracting international acclaim and making it a key region for bold Spanish reds.
The Producer
Bodega Numanthia: Legendary Wines from the Heart of Toro
Founded in 1998 in Spain’s historic Toro region, Bodega Numanthia crafts exceptional wines that embody the spirit of resilience, much like the ancient city of Numancia that inspires its name.
At the core of Numanthia’s acclaim are its incredibly old, ungrafted Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) vines – some up to 200 years old. These remarkable vineyards survived the phylloxera plague and today yield grapes of intense concentration and character, grown in the region’s distinctive sandy, rocky soils.
Since its acquisition by the prestigious LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2008, Numanthia has continued to elevate its reputation for world-class Spanish wine.
Bodega Numanthia is committed to sustainable and organic viticulture, ensuring the health of its ancient vineyards for generations to come. While known for their power, the wines have evolved to express a refined elegance, capturing the unique terroir of Toro. Discover the compelling story and unforgettable taste of Bodega Numanthia.
