2012 Mauro Vina San Roman

(aged for two years in a combination of French and American oak barrels, half of them new): Bright violet color. Sexy, spice-accented dark berry and violet pastille scents are complemented by notes of candied licorice, vanilla and woodsmoke. An undercurrent of smoky minerality gives lift and focus to the juicy blackberry and bitter cherry flavors, which become spicier and sweeter with air. The spicy quality carries through a sharply focused, subtly tannic, very long finish.

The 2012 San Román is produced with the fruit of their older vines out of their 96 hectares of vineyards in Toro. They have reduced the amount of the new oak here. The aromas are very mineral of red clay, iron, a mixture of plums, black and red cherries and again something earthy, elegant and complex, developing meaty notes with time. The palate is medium to full-bodied, fresher than 2011, with very fine tannins and very good acidity. This is a superb version of San Román. This is one of the few wines from Toro that actually improves with time in bottle. 93,000 bottles were filled in March 2015.