Vega Sicilia Bodegas y Vinedos Pintia 2020

- 95 Punkte James Suckling, Zekun Shuai: „Another combination of freshness and profoundness from Toro. Blackberries, graphite, ashtray, sandalwood, cocoa powder and dark olives on the nose. Fresh-veined, chalky tannins tighten the palate, with a nervy backbone. The tannins extend to a lengthy finish. Ripe but fresh. Drink from 2026.“

- 94 Punkte Parkers WINE ADVOCATE, Luis Gutierrez (01/2025): „The 2020 Pintia is from a powerful year of concentration, so they were very careful with the harvest date, did a softer vinification trying to extract less and included amphorae and less toast in the élevage. It's opulent and juicy but gentle. The wine reached 15.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.9 with 4.4 grams of acidity. It fermented in stainless steel and oak vats with indigenous yeasts. It was a very warm and dry vintage in Toro, with a heat wave before the harvest, so they had to rush to pick the grapes; and still the wine is richer and more powerful, even though the amphorae helped them contain the sensation of ripeness in the wine. It has a heady and ripe profile, very aromatic and showy, with notes of very ripe berries, prunes and decayed violets with a faint volatile twist. It matured 70% in new barrels, 10% in used barrels, 10% in stainless steel and 5% in clay pots. It's full bodied and lush, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins. It was a ripe and powerful vintage for Pintia, but it evolved nicely in the glass, showing less of its ripe side with time, which to me is a good sign. Some 14,304 half bottles, 209,009 bottles, 6,645 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in August 2022. 2026-2032“
The Toro project from Vega Sicilia is also implementing some changes: in 2021, they fermented all the wines with indigenous yeasts; in 2020, they introduced some clay tinajas for the élevage; in 2023, they introduced a little Garnacha in the blend; and in 2024, they added glass wine globes for aging. They have 98 hectares of vineyards in the villages of San Román de Hornija, Villaester and Toro and produce 280,000 to 320,000 bottles.

- 94 Punkte DECANTER (01/2025): „Another accomplished vintage of Vega Sicilia's Toro project. Technical director Gonzalo Iturriaga says it was a challenging vintage, with illusive freshness. But ideal harvest timing and maceration management allowed him to deliver a balanced wine, with superbly integrated alcohol. Intense, expressive aromas of dark chocolate, dried black olive, prune and liquorice root mingle with Assam tea (for an elegant smoky allure) and crunchy blueberries. A pleasant rusticity, lined with dried sage, defines the grippy, savoury tannins. Long finish, spicy and earthy. 2025-2040“

- 17 Punkte Jancis Robinson, Ferran Centelles (12/2024): „100% Tinta de Toro. 35-year-old vineyards in San Román de Hornija, at about 700 m above sea level. The whole vineyard is covered with large pebbles. It is an impressive sight, and it seems impossible they can work this soil. It rains very little, only 330 mm, and although the subsoil is very clayey, this stony layer helps to slow the evaporation rate. The grapes were harvested early in the first week of September because there were heat shocks that caused some dehydration. As this was such a powerful vintage, less extraction was done and more was made in large-format fermentation vessels such as 700- and 1,600-litre clay vasijas (6%) and stainless-steel tank (14%). The rest was made in wood, reducing the percentage of American oak barrels and the degree of toasting to try to reduce the heaviness. In total, 11 months of ageing followed by a further 30 months of resting in the bottle. Production: 14,304 half-bottles, 209,009 bottles, 6,645 magnums, 500 double magnums, 40 Imperials and 5 Salmanazars.
Very dark ruby colour. Very concentrated plum and black-fruit flavours. The tannin is impressive, voluminous and very sweet. Sweet black fruit on the palate with a very high level of ripeness. It is a compact wine, with high alcohol and warmth, something characteristic of the region. One of the most voluminous and powerful Pintia wines ever made. However, there is a hint of bitterness and a hint of herbs at the end of the palate. Dense and very concentrated, it reflects what has been the most opulent year. 2024-2040“

- 93 Punkte Guia Penin (07/2024): “ Stil: naschhaft. Farbe: kirschrot mit granatrotem Saum. Aroma: Früchtekonfit, kraftvoll, Röstaromen, dunkle Früchte. Mund: geschmackvoll, lang, opulent.“