Dominio del Bendito “El Buen Rollo” 2019

A grail in Europe: wine from pre-phylloxera, ungrafted vines. In Toro, on the soaring heights above the Duero River, the sandy soil makes it hard for the bug to find a foothold.
Thus, the vines in Antony Terryn’s “dream vineyard” (a local variant of tempranillo called tinta de Toro) range from several decades to a century old. But don’t let their age fool you. Connoisseurs know that Toro = power. And that’s certainly true here.
This 2019 (90 pts from Gilbert & Gaillard) has the nose of a bull. Still, its 3 years in bottle have given the wine time to think. On the palate, El Buen Rollo is a slow burner. Careful. Like the grizzled old farmhand who favors the slow approach. Then suddenly the bull reappears, coming right at you, tannins forward with a cloud of florals. Drink now… or give it till 2025.