One of the great wines of the world, ‘San Roman’ is produced from a tiny region in Spain, Toro. The region has an amazing history and is located in the province of Zamora, as part of Castile and Leon. Located northwest of Madrid, the region is relatively high elevation (2400 feet) and produces some of the finest Tempranillo wines of the world. Toro is also an ancient place, first conquered by Hannabal in 220 BC and the town was not repopulated until more than ten centuries later.
The wines of Toro were so famous that Christopher Columbus brought them on his journey to America. Toro is an extreme continental climate with very cold winters and very hot summers in which temperatures can eclipse 100 degrees. The wines from Toro are bold and intense. They are also some of the great bargains on the world wine market.
Bodegas San Roman produces what is one of the most famous Toro wines, its ‘San Roman.’ The winery was founded by famed winemaker, Mariano Garcia, in 1998 as Bodegas y Vinedos Maurodos. In the late 1990s his two sons Alberto and Eduardo joined the team, as director of operations and technical director respectively. They own 100 hectares of vineyards in the villages of Villaester, San Roman de Hornija, Morales de Toro and Pedrosa del Rey. The vineyards are primarily planted to Tinta de Toro, a local clone of Tempranillo.
Eduardo Garcia presides over the winemaking now as the winemaking style has moved towards combining freshness and richness. I have been absolutely enchanted by this wine since I first tried it while in graduate school more than a decade ago. The combination of richness and poise was just amazing to me. The wine can be quite powerful but maintains an amazing sense of poise and terroir. Simply put, it is one of the great wines of the world. The new release, the 2016 Bodegas San Roman ‘San Roman’ Toro (WWB, 94) is another sensational release that has terrific richness, verve and tension. This is one for the cellar that really can benefit from another year or two. For those who love wines that combine good richness and terroir, this is right up your alley. Learn more about this famed property at https://www.bodegasanroman.com Here is my review of the 2016 Bodegas San Roman ‘San Roman’ Toro.
2016 Bodegas San Roman Toro- The 2016 Bodegas San Roman Toro follows the really impressive line of San Roman wines over the past decade. Needing a two hour decant to fully evolve, once on the nose you are impressed by the intensity of not only massive dark fruits but non-fruit aromatics of tar, sandalwood and leather that combine with shades of damp earth. The palate is plush, with silky tannins and toasty oak that are artfully woven into the core of blackberry cobbler, blueberry cordial, mocha, and creosote tones. Showing a great feeling of range, with vibrant acidity, a light dusting of salinity and excellent weight, the 2016 Bodegas San Roman Toro will enjoy an exceedingly long life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2038- 95