DO Toro – Modernity anchored in tradition

As wine regions across Europe grappled with a summer of severe drought and record-breaking temperatures, ultimately compromising the 2022 harvest with losses of up to 44%, the Toro DO brought in a record amount of grapes with quality to match quantity. Growers were cautiously optimistic earlier in the growing season but ultimately not surprised by the outstanding performance of their vines, defying the challenges of yet another year of climate change havoc. This year’s record harvest is testament to the resilience and value of two of Toro’s most valuable assets: its incredible stock of old vines, and the determination and expertise of its community of growers.

‘Being a grower in Toro requires a lot of discipline,’ commented a producer in late autumn, as the region acknowledged and analysed the meaning of this year’s success, following a harrowing summer working under a sun even more scorching than the scalding rule. Such discipline mirrors the sturdy adaptiveness of the vines they tend to, many of which have weathered multiple natural and socio-political challenges over a century of existence; from phylloxera, to the abandon forced by one civil and two world wars, by way of the pressures imposed by pull-off subsidised schemes. Toro is a land of commitment and determination, the intricate shape of old vines sculpted as much by time as by the hard work of those who remained true to their love for the land.

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D.O. TORO
UK Tasting & Masterclass

Tuesday 7 March | 10:30am to 4:30pm
One Great George Street

scroll down for more details

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A historical maverick

Although only now being discovered by many wine lovers around the world, the Toro wine region has a long if unusual history, in many ways fundamental to the establishment of Spanish wine as a household name. Winemaking in the area dates back to pre-Roman times, a key component of the life in Celtiberian settlements (to whom the Toro village owes its name – see below). It was in the Middle Ages, along with the consolidation of Christian occupation, that winemaking and viticulture became fully established, with underground cellars a feature of all local houses. Toro and its neighbouring villages are effectively built upon winemaking traditions, both symbolically and structurally.

The wines of Toro then had a key role, both cultural and economical, having been given royal privileges that allowed them to be sold where other wines could not be traded. Firmly established as a prized good, favoured by the cleric and noble classes, Toro wines were even among the supplies of Christopher Columbus’ discovery expedition, having been among the first to reach the American continent.

Fast forward to the 19th century when, after the first wave of devastation caused by phylloxera in France, Toro became, along with Rioja and Ribera del Duero, a key alternative source for the French market. This catalysed a significant development of the local wine industry and of the ecosystem of stakeholders. Trade attracted investment, allowing both existing and new businesses to flourish, and demanded technical expert support. This accounts for the creation of a local research centre and lab only comparable, in the early 20th century, to their Rioja counterparts. In 1932, a newly created legal framework for the wine sector included Toro as one of the foundational Spanish denominations.

The fate of Toro’s wine industry, as that of all the banks of the Duero, would take an unfortunate turn following the turbulent geopolitical events of the first half of the last century. Further to their impact on local demographics and economy, international trade also came to a grinding halt, both due to the world wars and to France’s recovery from phylloxera. These caused the demise of many of Spain’s denominations, Toro included. But the region preserved an invaluable asset, none of the others was privileged to have: Toro’s sandy soils, so poor in organic matter, allowed the area to remain almost phylloxera free, while the rest of Spain struggled to recover from the second wave that spread through Europe. Toro was therefore in a privileged position to emerge as a mature and established wine region, as soon as the economic and social context began to change.

Since the reestablishment to the DO Toro in 1987, the area has experienced an exciting and quick transformation, that confirms both its vocation as a land that produces great wine from unique vines and the resilience of its community of growers and winemakers. In a relatively short period of time, DO Toro has gone from a discreet alternative to other established wine regions, to producing some of Spain’s most sought after red
wines. Most importantly, the region has managed to consolidate its reputation for fine wine alongside a reassuring output of approachable, high quality everyday wines. Few regions around the world can claim to offer, across its range, a deep sense of place and parentage from an outstanding stock of old vines with invaluable genetic material.

Tinta de Toro – power and elegance

Toro’s flagship grape has had to, not without difficulty, affirm itself within the context of an overpowering genetic truth: Tinta de Toro might be, genetically speaking, the same variety as Tempranillo, but its phenotypic expression has become distinct enough to warrant a name of its own. Forced to adapt to the hardship of the extreme continental climate and the challenging poverty of the soils, Tempranillo acquired, over time, a particular face and structure in the lands of Toro: smaller berries, looser bunches, lower yields of fruit with higher phenolic content. In the vineyard, this is reflected in less grapes of incredible concentration; in the glass, it is translated into a complex array of deep flavours that combine fruit richness with trademark savoury aromas of herbs, liquorice and sweet spice. A characterful grape that is the product of an equally expressive and singular landscape, the sinewy turns of the Duero mirrored by each gnarly vine, the rugged soils evoked by the robust elegance of the wines.

Tinta de Toro’s full potential is far from being fully tapped into – its rediscovery has happened in tandem with the region’s evolution as a whole. A new generation of winemakers is reinterpreting ancient knowledge and the experience of their grandfathers under the light of technical expertise and environmental awareness. Part of this process has been a novel appreciation for old vines and for the specific viticultural techniques they require.

Alternative fermentation and ageing vessels are also having an important role in expanding the structural understanding of Tinta de Toro. By removing the wood variable, winemakers are gaining a deeper, more comprehensive grasp on what is the essence of their queen grape. With all the nuanced complexity and concentration delivered by the best Tinta de Toro fruit, a lower intervention approach seems an obvious choice. Toro winemakers are well aware, and increasingly so, of their major task as one of facilitating the natural potential of the fruit that reaches their cellars. ‘The fruit arrives at the winery with an incredible potential and our job is not to decrease it,’ explains Alejandro Vicente, Head of Viticulture at Bodegas Numanthia.

Still, wood does play a role in bringing out some of Tinta de Toro’s full splendour and spectrum of flavours, often obscured in its early years and needing gentle tutoring to reveal itself through time. As such, wood can, and is being increasingly used as a facilitator rather than as a protagonist, allowing the best Tintas de Toro to embark on a long journey of successful ageing. Tasting through multiple vintages of Tinta de Toro wines two characters come to the forefront – enduring balance and structural poise – confirming this potential to not merely endure but indeed benefit from the test of time.

It’s interesting to see how producers are increasingly able to find their own expression of Tinta de Toro while not losing – and in fact underlining – varietal expression. What makes Tinta de Toro a special grape is also its capacity to reveal different facets, based on vintage, terroir and winemaking interpretation.

A tale with more chapters

The reality of DO Toro is not, however, a tale of one grape. All the more when the long viticultural history – shaped by many varieties and wines – is being further researched and appreciated. Further to renewed historical interest, the challenges of climate change have also forced growers, winemakers and researchers to explore a wider palette of varieties that might enable them to face the future with better tools and more confidence.

The role of Garnacha is increasingly valued, both as a balancing blending companion and in single-varietal wines. Winemakers are harvesting the variety early, while acidity is still high and the fruit profile is dominated by crunchy red fruit, to balance Tinta de Toro’s alcohol levels and fruit lusciousness. And also to produce deliciously crisp reds, vibrant and bright, perfect for summer drinking.

Harvest dates have indeed become an ever more important, and anxiety-inducing, decision, when the balance between phenolic and sugar ripeness is challenged by extreme weather events. Optimising acidity and freshness, without compromising complexity and maturity, has become the priority. “We like to harvest ‘al dente’,” sums up Gonzalo Iturriaga de Juan, Technical Manager at Tempos de Vega Sicilia.

Beyond Garnacha, there is potential for many other varieties, both red and white, with Malvasia, Verdejo and Albillo Real as the main protagonists. There is interest in experimenting with styles and categories, the increasingly diverse and dynamic community of winemakers eager to explore the wealth of the local terroirs beyond red wines. And although the region’s motto is ‘Un Tinto, un Toro’ (one red, one Toro), the same singular terroirs that yield the best Tinta de Toro grapes, can bear fruit for characterful rosés and whites as well. Some producers are also exploring the expressiveness of old field blends, important both as historical testament and as sources of data and plant material.

Toro’s natural affinity with sustainable viticulture makes this work of research and experimentation both easier and more worthwhile. The region’s growers have long had an unpretentious, no-nonsense relationship with their vines, based on minimal, thoughtful intervention and on an interpretation of each plant as a universe of its own. The very nature and structure of Toro’s many ungrafted, bush-trained vines has required this to be the case and the rule. Even so, modernity introduced many novel techniques which are now being re- appraised, and even discarded, in favour of a return of ancestral techniques much more in tune with nature, the vines and their specific demands. In the vineyard as in the cellar the future is being built upon a deeper connection with the past.

Looking ahead

This underlines one of the region’s key strengths moving forward: an inherent climate resilience, built upon the investment on a unique viticultural patrimony (plants that have grown and adapted to the hard demands of the land), on a community of growers that has evolved while remaining grounded in the reality of the landscape.

There’s an exciting sense of modernity – a striving for technical excellence, depth of knowledge and purity of expression – alongside a return to tradition in its best sense: a reconnection with the land, a listening to nature and its ever-changing demands. Toro is a land where vines and people have long fought the same battles together. The future challenges will be yet another chapter in this shared history to achieve a single, clear goal: to continue producing wines that balance power with finesse, intensity with nuance, generosity with assertiveness.

If the Toro village has, underneath its historical buildings and intricate streets, a viscera of old cellars, so are its people and soul viscerally linked to the vines that grow along Toro’s stretch of the Duero.

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D.O. TORO
UK Tasting & Masterclass

Tuesday 7 March | 10:30am to 4:30pm
One Great George Street

A chance to discover wines from 20 Toro producers.
Sarah Jane Evans MW will host a masterclass at 11am.

Register now (strictly trade & press only)

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Flagship Toro wines and producers:

Numanthia, Termes Blanco, Joven 2020
92 points
N/A Moët Hennessy UK
Hailing from a field blend of Malvasia, Albillo Real, Verdejo, and other yet to be identified varieties, this wine has a lovely creamy texture and weighty presence on the mid-palate. Partially aged in barriques adding nutty nuances to the quince, ripe pear, preserved lemon flavours. Elegant lining of wildflowers and chamomile. Alc 12.5%

San Román, Malvasia, Joven 2021
92 points
£45 City Wine Collection
Very elegant expression of Malvasia, fermented and aged in French oak barrels with frequent batonnage. The lees work is apparent in the generous body and mid-palate width. Fleshy lemon, white grapefruit, blanched almonds, green apple and crunchy pear are supported by a vibrant acidity. Very balanced and bright. Organic certified. Alc 12.5%