Elias Mora Crianza Toro 2019

Alcohol: 15%

Grape(s): Tinta de Toro aka Tempranillo

Localization: Castile y Léon, Spain

Tasting notes: This crowd-pleasing red from Toro is bursting with beautifully ripe fruit and a stunning mineral backbone. It’s all muscle, no flab—and decadently delicious.

93 Points Wine Enthusiast: Deep violet in the glass, this wine has a bouquet of brambly fruits of the wood, dark chocolate and espresso. Bold cherry and blackberry flavors are joined by notes of mocha, orange zest and ground black pepper. Burly tannins assert their dominance on the palate shortly after the first sip.

The Domain: Today, winemaker Victoria Benavides focuses solely on Tempranillo, allowing her to understand each vine and its intricacies—primarily soil variation and vine age—to blend the perfect wines. High elevations preserve freshness, supporting the dramatic temperature variation between dry, sweltering afternoons and cold, crisp nights. After harvest, the Crianza is aged for 12 months in used French and American oak barrels, lending the wine a hard-to-resist mix of bright cherry fruit and exotic spice aromas.