'The Old One' of the Matsu range, both on the label and also in reference to the vines: these, for this incredible wine, are an average of 110 years old. Planted before the Easter Rising and the first World War. Isn't that just amazing? Matsu means 'wait' in Japanese, and, boy oh boy, what a wait!
Broadly speaking, older vines produce a lower yield of fruit, but the fruit that they do grow has far greater concentration and complexity than younger vines. And these qualities really show here.
In 2005, Matsu found themselves among the largest number of centenary and pre-phylloxera vineyards they had ever seen: the sandy soils, perfect for the vines, made life very difficult for the nasty Phylloxera bug, and the ideal continental climate prevented the onset of vineyard diseases. This magic Venn-diagram resulted in the continuous growing of these ow legendary vineyards. To top it off, when Matsu took on the vineyards, they inherited practices run with an ethos of ancestral viticulture, based on respect for natural, biodynamic rhythms.
Picked by hand in high altitude vineyards, these Tinta del Toro grapes (yep, that's Tempranillo to most of us) are aged for 16 months in new French oak barrels.
This is a powerful and structured wine. It's dense and rich and loaded full of rich cherry, bramble and vanilla, lavender and violet notes. Its long, dry and cocoa-like finish is heavy at first, then lifts to red berries and coulis-like texture, making you come backl for more.
Apart from the sensational characters that it possesses right now, it will age for many years to come. It truly is history in a bottle.
Region: Toro
Country: Spain
Grape(s): Tempranillo
Style: Smooth, Organic, Full, Fruity, Dark, Creamy, Complex, Broad, Balanced
Best food matches: Venison, Tapas, Steak, Pork, Pizza, Pasta, Mature Cheeses
Alcohol: 14.5%
