Winemaker: Amy Leigh Hopkinson
Grape: 100% Tinta del Toro (a local clone of Tempranillo)
Region: D.O. Vino de la Tierra de Castilla-Leon, Spain
Read my blog Another star is born? about this wine
A brand new wine project is a partnership of Jorge Ordonez, Enrique Busto and the Gil family, directed by Amy Leigh Hopkinson, a talented enologist from New Zealand. The winery is located in historic area of the small village of Villanueva de Campean (near the city of Zamora) which should have been included in D.O. Toro, but didn’t quite make it.
Yet the conditions for growing wine are quite similar to Toro. Highly elevated vineyards have the same type of sandy soils mixed with gravel and substrata of clay (6-9 feet below the surface). Bodegas Triton owns total of 123.5 acres of mainly old vines, planted between 1904 and 1965. The grapes sourced for Triton came from 25 vineyards and 51 separate plots, with about 84 acres located directly within D.O. Toro. (the home of famous Numanthia and Termanthia).
The already extremely low yield helps to produce a very impressive, concentrated flavor of the local Tinta del Toro grape. The harvest is done manually and grapes are carefully sorted at the winery. Each plot is vinified separately. Wine aged 15 months in new French oak high quality barrels, from a boutique coopers.
Tasting notes:
Dark ruby red, rich color and beautiful aroma of dark fruit, cocoa and spice. On the palate it surprised me with a notes of black pepper, nutmeg or cloves, mixed with great expression of fruit. Dusty notes reminded me of dark chocolate or great Italian Amarone.
Concentrated and well balanced. It shouldn’t surprise me that this red had an impressive long finish. Sexy and opulent red that is approachable right now. The quality of Triton and its beautiful packaging makes it a serious steel for the money. Although first vintage, this wine made quite an entrance and it’s definitely going to shine. I can’t wait for the first professional ratings.
Dry – Off dry – Medium sweet – Sweet
Light – Medium – Full body
No oak – Aged in oak
Retail price: around $ 18.00
Ideal food pairing:
Prime rib, Fillet Mignon, Beef Bourguignon, baby ribs, anything off the grill like Lamb burgers with relish mayo, Beef Chorizo, Flank steak fajitas,
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