Today we share one of the jewels of this tiny region of Spain, Toro, Elias Mora has been producing gorgeous, terroir-driven Tempranillo wines now for decades. I love the consistency of the house and the quality of wines even at their entry level. There is something that they are able to produce with not only rich fruits but dusty soils that makes these wines so wonderfully earthy and rustic to back up the dense dark fruits. Elias Mora makes some world-class Reserva and Gran Reserva bottlings that are also amongst the best in the region. These wines age exceptionally well. Winemaker Victoria Benavides founded this house back in 2000 and named it after the former owner of the vineyard, Elias Mora.
I adored these wines across the board. For a killer value check out the 2022 Elias Mora Toro (OB, 92) which is dense, chewy and full of life. I adored the 2018 Elias Mora ‘La Senda de Los Lobos’ Toro (OB, 96) which comes from this single vineyard and has gobs of viscosity and aging potential.You have to admire the level of richness, finesse and texture. Learn more about these beautiful wines at https://bodegaseliasmora.com/en/ and here are my reviews of the new Mora wines.
2018 Elias Mora ‘La Senda de Los Lobos’ Toro- A world-class wine, the 2018 Elias Mora ‘La senda de Los Lobos’ Toro was sourced from 80 year old Tinta de Toro vines and was stored in 100% new French oak for 17 months prior to bottling. This edition is every bit as good as the scintillating 2017. Mocha, tar, damp earth and bulls blood parade with exotic spices on the palate. Full-bodied, with a brilliant core of pure black fruits, this is heady, concentrated and beautifully structured wine that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2044- 96
2022 Elias Mora ‘Toro’ Toro- The 2022 ‘Toro’ is a great new effort that is drinking marvelously right now. Coffee grounds, black fruits and shades of scorched earth all combine with the wonderful verve on the palate. Delicious and lithe, enjoy over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2020 Elias Mora ‘Crianza’ Toro- The 2020 ‘Crianza’ is sourced from Tinta de Toro vines set at roughly 800 meters. Inky in the glass, this takes on a gorgeous bouquet of red raspberry and garrigue notes alongside pencil lead and shades of Black Forest cake. The palate is soft and refined with a silky texture and beautiful underlying tension. Dense and heady, enjoy now and over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2024-2036- 93
2017 Elias Mora ‘Reserva’ Toro- A stunning wine that is now at the seven year mark, the 2017 ‘Reserva’ is deeply colored in the glass. Coming from old vine Tinta de Toro, this offers freshly tilled salty soils, tar and tobacco leaf notes on the nose alongside a graphite edge. The palate is dense and complex with refined tannins and a great sense of weight, showing off a beautiful range of black fruit flavors. Elegant and sinfully good now, watch this evolve over the next fifteen years. Drink 2024-2039- 94