Numanthia Termes 2020

Aromas of cassis, dark chocolate and leather set the stage for blackberry, cocoa powder, caramel, violet, orange zest and sage leaf flavors. Plush tannins coat the tongue and gums and drift off into a milk chocolate and cherry finish. This fresh wine from Toro is a nice example of a Tinta de Toro, the local name for Tempranillo, that does not break the bank.

Ripe and fruit-forward on the nose, though more restrained on the palate, this red offers flavors of blackberry paste, dried blueberry and cranberry fruit woven through dried sage, marjoram, warmed spices and cocoa powder, backed by rich notes of fresh earth and iron. There's a creamy nappe to the texture, while fine tannins firm up the supple finish. Drink now through 2030. 10,000 cases made, 8,000 cases imported.

The 2020 Termes, aged 14 months in French oak (20% new, half 400 liters). A dark garnet red in hue. The nose features violets and cherry notes along with a cedar undertone layer. Rich and taut on the palate, the tannins are softened by the calibrated acidity, releasing the sun's energy into a lasting, flavorful finish. The 2020 is a mellow Toro.

The 2020 Termes, the entry-level red, has 15.65% alcohol and a pH of 3.9 with 4.2 grams of acidity. The grapes from their younger vines, which have higher yields and keep more acidity, fermented with selected yeasts and 20 days of maceration and matured in 225- and 400-liter French oak barrels, 20% of them new, for 14 months with rackings every four months. It's creamy and spicy, round and soft, with fine-grained tannins and integrated oak (nearly 50% of the élevage was in 400-liter oak barrels), and it's rich but with the alcohol nicely integrated. This has a more commercial profile, more approachable than its siblings. 130,000 bottles produced.