There’s something special about a terroir that speaks of the history of the Roman era, battles won and lost in war and in everyday life against the elements.  This is the home of the Numanthia wines, the estates located in the hills of northwest Spain near the village of Toro, carved out by the Duero River not far from the Portuguese border.  Numanthia has been making wine here since 1880, the name in tribute to the town Numancia, renown for its fierce resistance against an invading Roman legions in 133BC.   Sporting a harsh climate with very hot, dry summers and cold winters and an unforgiving soil, the vines are challenged to resource every ounce of nutrient and moisture available.  Their resistance to the devastating 19th century phylloxera epidemic is a testament to their hearty genetic strain.   Wines have been made in Toro for nearly two centuries, the Tinta de Toro grape from the Tempranillo grape, being the signature grape today.  These grapes yield wine with an intense and complex character.

There are three “Numanthia” wines to consider.  The entry level and most affordable is the Numanthia-Termes Toro Termes, a wine that tends to show the vibrancy and freshness of black and red fruit along with tasty oak.  Grapes are sourced from 30 year old vines, macerated for approximately 21 days with light pump over and aged from 16 months in French oak barrels.  The 2004 & 2005 vintage is a standout for this wine, big and muscular displaying notes of dark, black fruit, licorice and graphite, and earthiness.  Both should go out another 5-8 years.  The 2006 offers notes of black plum, chocolate, and tobacco and should age another 5-7 years.  You can find them in the range of $50-65.  The more recent vintages of ’07 and ’08 tend to be a bit more simple and probably have only a few years more on them.