Finca la Rana | Land of aurochs

DENOMINATION: Toro Denominación de Origen

TYPE: red

GRAPES: Tinta de Toro 100%

ORIGIN: Spain, Taurus

EVOLUTION: 3 years

SERVICE TEMPERATURE: 16-18° C

RECOMMENDED GLASS: large glass

ALCOHOLIC CONTENT: 14.5% vol.

FORMAT: 75 cl

THE WINE

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

FRESHNESS: ◼︎◼︎◼︎ ◻︎ ◻︎
BODY: ◼︎◼︎◼︎ ◼︎ ◻︎
FLAVOUR: ◼︎◼︎◼︎◻︎ ◻︎
SOFTNESS: ◼︎◼︎◼ ◼◻︎
TANNICITY: ◼︎◼︎◼︎ ◼︎ ◻︎

NOTES FROM OUR SOMMELIERS

👁 a beautiful ruby ​​red;

👃🏻 the nose expresses a intense bouquet with small red fruits in evidence and undergrowth and herbaceous notes, with rosemary and thyme in evidence;

👄 The fruity notes return to the palate and presents itself as a full-bodied and warm wine. A red structured but easy to drink, with smooth and subtle tannins.

RECOMMENDED COMBINATION

A modern Toro, fruity and appreciated by all, who obtained 92 Robert Parker points; it should be paired in accordance with dishes of the same character and structure, and with an equally exuberant aroma. Try it with game or mature cheeses.

REFINEMENT

From the youngest vineyards on the property. After the careful selection of the tinta de Toro grapes (also known as tempranillo), the pressing of the bunches begins, followed by the fermentation of the must in large 8,000 liter oak vats. This is followed by alcoholic fermentation and then malolactic fermentation. Aging in French oak barrels for at least 12 months.

YOU WILL LOVE IT FOR...

the pleasantness.

TERRITORY OF ORIGIN

TERROR

Spain is one of the most promising countries in Europe, the third in the world in terms of quantity. Spain has an ancient tradition in wine production and in recent years it has increasingly focused on quality production, proving itself to be one of the great countries to keep an eye on.

Viticulture is documented in Spain as early as the second century BC, went through a long period of crisis in the Middle Ages and was attested again in the 13th century. The success of Jerez wines dates back to the sixteenth century, much loved by the English, always looking for wines that could withstand long sea transports. At the end of the 19th century, phylloxera and powdery mildew devastated viticulture in Spain like that of almost all European countries, causing the extinction of numerous native vine species in the region. This disastrous circumstance then began the rebirth of Spanish oenology, which renewed its cultivation and cellar processing methods, keeping pace with the times: Spanish wines therefore entered international markets. The first denomination of Spanish origin was Rioja, in 1926, followed by Jerez in 1933 and Malaga in 1937.

The Toro region is a wine-growing area influenced by the presence of the Douro river and other waterways. It is nestled between the provinces of Zamora and Valladolid, in the far west of Castile and León. The vineyards are generally located at altitude, around 700 meters on average.

The product par excellence of this denomination is red wine, with abundant tannins tamed by aging in wood; carbonic maceration, on the other hand, also allows you to obtain fruity and ready-to-drink wines.

A peculiarity of Toro is that the poor and friable soils have meant that a large part of the denomination has been spared from phylloxera. The scarcity of resources forces the roots of the vine to go deep into the soil, looking for water and nutrients. The aridity is extreme, the rainfall is scarce, the soil is not very permeable. The strong solar radiation and temperature changes contribute to completing this picture of an extreme continental climate. The pebbles of alluvial origin that dot the entire DOC transmit further heat to the plants, enriching the grapes with color and sugar. Precisely their intense color and high sugar content have led for decades to consider the wines of these regions as unrefined and very alcoholic but the innovative techniques adopted both in the vineyard and in the cellar have allowed and are increasingly allowing us to obtain wines of great balance, also thanks to the old sapling vines. In many cases, winemakers still work with manual and careful techniques. The age of the vines and the characteristics of the terroir limit the yield, causing the grapes to produce intense and complex wines.

CELLAR

We are in Toro, in the Hacienda Terra d'Uro, where the winemakers Javier Ortega and Cristiano Van Zeller interpret their work with the utmost conscience through their work in the vineyard. A deep and careful knowledge of the territory and the experience of three generations of winemakers allow their wines to take on unique and typical expressions together.

Most of the work in the vineyard is done manually, such as pruning, hoeing around the vines, treating with sulfur or nettle powder. Only for plowing are mechanical means applied.

To respect the natural qualities of the wine, very little intervention is required in the cellar.

Javier Ortega is a specialist with over 20 years of experience and many awards under his belt. The basis of its success is born in the origin of the wine: the terroir, its philosophy is to respect and take care of the vines as much as possible. Christian Van Zeller is a truly world-renowned winemaker, being one of the biggest names in the Douro region as well as a core member of the Douro's most experienced winemakers, called the "Douro Boys". His commitment today is to spread the quality and notoriety of Toro wines throughout the world.