Bodegas y Viñedos San Román Prima Toro 2022

Bodegas y Viñedos San Román, the Toro estate of the Maurodos project, makes Prima from Tinta de Toro, the local form of Tempranillo, with around ten percent Garnacha. The vines run from ten to thirty-five years old and sit on clay and sandy soils. Toro has a harsh continental climate, and the wide swing between hot days and cold nights drives aromatic intensity while holding acidity, a key reason the wines carry such concentration. The two varieties are vinified separately to preserve their character before blending, then aged for fourteen months in French and American oak. That barrel time rounds the naturally firm Toro tannins through slow oxygen exchange and adds spice and vanilla. The colour is deep and opaque. The nose shows ripe plum and cherry with black pepper, liquorice and a savoury, earthy base. The palate is full and structured, with dense dark fruit, firm but ripe tannins and a long oak-spiced finish. This is a bold wine built for the table rather than for sipping alone. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted an hour ahead. It is a natural match for grilled red meat.