The product image is for illustrative purposes only and may not exactly reflect the actual characteristics of the wine.
The wine
- Colour
- Rosso
- Alcohol
- 14.5% vol
Critics' scores
- Robert Parker / Wine Advocate 94
I tasted two vintages of some of the wines, which makes for a very interesting comparison of the character of each year. The 2018 Mauro, from a cool and rainy year, is fresher than the 2019 I tasted next to it. It's a blend of 90% Tinto Fino or Tempranillo and 5% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from certified organic vineyards, and it fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in French and American oak barrels and foudres for some 15 months. It's serious and a bit closed, going in a way to the style of the Mauro from yesteryear, perhaps a little more floral and aromatic. It feels younger and less developed than the 2019. It's powerful and has finesse and balance, with depth and complexity. 300,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2020.
- Vinous 93
Inky ruby. Primary, mineral-tinged black and blue fruits, potpourri, oak spices and woodsmoke on the highly perfumed nose. Sweet, deeply concentrated boysenberry, licorice and cherry cola flavors fan out steadily on the palate, picking up spiciness and a touch of candied flowers on the back half. Broad and youthfully chewy in texture. Finishes with excellent length and dusty tannins contributing shape and closing grip.
The producer: Bodegas Mauro
Bodegas Mauro sits just outside of the Ribera del Duero appellation, in the historic town of Tudela de Duero. Established in the 1970s by Mariano García, the former winemaker of the famous Vega Sicilia estate, he now owns two benchmark estates in Spain. With a rather small production of about 280,000 bottles a year, the 74-hectare estate is farmed organically preserving their grand terroir. Mauro produces three reds. Their forward-styled lavish Mauro. Their Mauro VS (Vendimia Seleccionada), which is crafted by only the best vines and experiences a longer ageing period. And lastly, their all-encompassing single-vineyard cuvée, Terreus, which is produced only in the best years. By the mid-1990s, García decided to open up another winery in Toro named Bodegas y Viñedos Maurodos. Today, it is one of the most influential estates in the region. Planted with Garnacha and Tinta de Toro, this 80-hectare property produces two wines. San Román is a structured, opulent wine, the tannins and oak build in the bottle making five or six years of ageing a worthwhile bet. While their second label, Prima, offers a typical full-bodied, and dark-fruited style at a great value.