Bodegas MaurodosSan Roman 2011

(100% tempranillo; raised in a combination of new and one-year-old French and American oak barrels): Inky purple. Explosive aromas of dark berry liqueur, vanilla, mocha and pipe tobacco, with a smoky nuance building with air. Fleshy and broad, offering lush cassis and boysenberry flavors and a hint of candied licorice. Finishes sweet and very long, with a touch of vanilla and supple tannins adding shape. Distinctly rich and fleshy, especially for the vintage, but shows excellent focus and vivacity as well. In fact, I prefer this year´s bottling to the 2010.

Black plum, coffee and mineral notes show depth and richness in this plush, firm red, with plenty of structure. Balanced and harmonious, ending with an alluring floral finish. Drink now through 2025. 6,000 cases made.

The 2011 San Roman, is year in, year out, one of the most reliable wines of the appellation, pure Tempranillo (locally known as Tinta de Toro), the fruit from over 35-year-old, ungrafted and head-pruned vineyards planted on sandy, stony soils rich in clay in different villages across the Toro appellation. The wine aged for two years in French and American oak barrels, 80% of which were new. It’s an earthy wine with plenty of dark aromas of peat, fountain pen ink, graphite and tar, with very ripe fruit, black and blue berries. The palate is quite full-bodied, with abundant but fine tannins and enough acidity and persistence. A Toro with character. Drink 2015-2019.

This vintage of San Román is extremely ripe and oaky, with buttery richness sharing the nose with asphalt, wood resin, cassis and dark-berry aromas. The palate is dense and deep, but it also shows a bit of dead weight compared to better prior versions. Flavors of black fruits, woodspice and pepper finish long and a touch raisiny. Drink through 2020.