From a challenging vintage for Toro, Pintia’s 2002 is among the finest wines produced in that appellation. Pintia is a project of Vega Sicilia, who believes they produced a better wine in 2002 than in 2001. I’m not sure I would go that far, but there is no question the 2002 Pintia comes close to the 2001. It is a powerful (14.5% alcohol), dense ruby/purple-tinged offering displaying flamboyant aromatics of blackberries, scorched earth, espresso roast, and cedar. Voluptuous, dense, and heady, with plenty of fat and glycerin, this is a head-turning, exuberant Spanish red to drink now and over the next 7-8 years.Importer: A Christopher Cannan Selection, various American importers including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300 and Diamond Wine Merchants, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 567-9897

The 2002 Pintia is raised in 70% new Nevers and 30% in American oak barrels for 13 months. It has a fragrant bouquet of dark cherries, dried rose petals and a touch of cedar that is well-defined and remains fresh. The palate is medium-bodied and exhibits more vigor and succulence than the 2001, with spicy red fruit, a supple mouthfeel and a finish that fans out with white pepper, undergrowth and Provencal herbs. This has matured with style. I made a brief but profitable visit to Bodegas Pintia with Pablo Alvarez and winemaker Xavier Ausas. He told me that they started to buy vineyards in 1997 without a clear idea of what style of Toro wine they would make. “We heard that Toro was a very good region,” he told me, “a region of perhaps rustic wines. We wanted to produce a different style of Tempranillo. We wanted to make a more elegant wine. In Toro the Tempranillo is wilder and rustic while in Ribera del Duero it is more elegant. The Tempranillo is more like a bull in Toro. If you don’t control it, you make wines that are over-ripe.” They ended up acquiring 100 hectares of vineyard, 50% of purchased vineyard and the remainder subsequently planted over ten years. “We like short names for the wines as they are easier to remember,” Pablo answered when I asked where the name originates. I then inquired about the vinification: “During the entire process, it is necessary to keep the fresh fruit aromas, which is the reason we have cool rooms before fermentation. The maximum degree of temperature during fermentation is 28 degrees to protect the aromas instead of 31-33 degrees in Ribera del Duero. After fermentation, we put the wine immediately in new oak barrel without maceration. We use 70% French and 30% American oak and the new oak protects the fresh fruit aroma. We make the malolactic (fermentation) in barrel and after 12 months we mix the lots, and any that are unsatisfactory are distilled. We don’t mature more than 12 months in barrel since the fresh fruit aromas come down and appear as a liqueur (volatile) aroma.” Importer: Christopher Cannan, Europvin; www.europvin.com

Ripe and juicy, this red offers black cherry and raspberry flavors over thick, slightly rustic tannins, with spice and tobacco notes. A bit ponderous, but the flavors are lively. Best from 2006 through 2011. 8,575 cases made.??–TM??Region: Spain / Toro Select to Add

The newest project from Vega Sicilia comes from Toro, where the serious wines are often gargantuan. This has a blinding violet tint and equally forward aromas. In the mouth, it’s rock hard, a bruiser of the first order. To drink now would be inviting a tannic overload. Best to hold a couple of years and then serve with a juicy steak. ——M.S.(6/1/2005)—— 90