Vatan Toro 2019

Style: Medium-bodied red         Vintage: 2019                  ABV: 15.5%

Appellation: Toro                     Varietal: Tinta de Toro (one of the many synonyms for Tempranillo)

Region: Castilla y Leon              County:  Spain

Pairings:  Lasagna, pizza and dishes with tomato-based sauces; barbecue grilled-meats, smoky dishes; grits, polenta, and dishes with corn as a major ingredient; Mexican food such as tacos, nachos, burritos, and chile rellenos

Cheese Pairings: Asiago, Cheddar (sharp), Cotswold, Dubliner, Fium 'Orbu, Fleur du Maquis, Havarti, Mahon, Manchego, Serena, Tomme de Savoie, Zamarano

About This Wine: this full-size, oak-heavy Toro smells of baked berry, prune and wood grain. Lush and chunky on the palate, with mild acidity and bulky tannins, this tastes mostly of toasty, blackened oak, cassis and blackberry. A choppy but long finish tastes chocolaty and rich.