Numanthia, Toro (Spain) 2003

Purple/red.

Steak sauce, suggestion of souffle/bread pudding, grilled meat/balsamic action on the nose. Smells loaded, no heat.

Round and sweet entry. Mid-palate is quite plush/packed, not to mention intensely-flavored (fresh mint nuance too). Grainy/chewy tannin sneaks up and takes over in the finish. This needs several years also. I'd start drinking this around 2013 (just to be safe).

Much different in style from the '98, and I doubt it is simply a vintage difference.

Day 3 - Clay/earth, baked nose. A suggestion of pudding fruit too. Huge, creamy, utterly mouth-filling texture, with fairly stiff tannin slowly gathering strength from the corners of the mouth. Now this is integrated, in complete contrast to the '98. The Eguren brothers are from Rioja. Tinta de Toro must have been like a live hand grenade in '98. But they've come to terms with this powerful stuff. Even in a very hot vintage.

Day 6 - Still killer. A mint-lift addition to the nose now. Round, intense and almost saline in the mouth. Fruit and steak sauce flavors ride roughshod over significant framing structure.

$50