A very structured and intense Pintia with lots of blackberry, chocolate and cedar character. Full body. Yet, it’s more refined than in past vintages. One of the more balanced bottlings from this winery. Delicious already. Available in 2020. Better after 2021.

Deep, glistening ruby. Expansive cherry, cassis, potpourri, exotic spice and cracked pepper scents on the intensely perfumed nose; subtle licorice, tobacco and vanilla qualities add complexity. Deep, sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering intense, spice- and smoke-tinged red and dark berry compote, violet pastille and cola flavors that become livelier with air. The floral quality gains strength on the strikingly long finish, which leaves smoke and mineral notes behind. -- Josh Raynolds

The only wine produced here is the 2015 Pintia, which, in the warm and dry 2015, reaches 15% alcohol and has moderate acidity and a creamy, soft texture, with plenty of concentration, ripeness and tannins. It fermented in oak vats and matured in oak barrels (new and used, French and American) for 12 months. It was a powerful vintage, and they did part of the malolactic fermentation in oak vats instead of 100% in barrique to keep some of the freshness, and they also have 15,000 liters of wine that can mature in stainless steel and rotate some lots in vat before they are put in barrique. All this goes in the direction of keeping the freshness of the wine in a zone where power comes naturally, and all the tools are welcomed, including the use of different toast in the barrels. All this seems to have paid off, and even if the wine is powerful and tannic, it has good balance and the tannins are fine-grained. This has reached a good balance between power and elegance. 203,857 bottles, 6,496 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in May 2017. - LG

Toro used to resist taming. With 2015 Pintia is showing the results of work started in 2008 on the vineyard and in the winery. The palate will always be dense – after all, this is Toro. But the aromatics are tempting, with lively refined oak and red fruits. The acidity is bright. It's a wine that needs time. My score is 93-plus – I'd like to come back to it nearer its drinking time and reassess it. Pintia is emerging as a relative of Vega Sicilia that’s very much worth following.</p> (Drink between 2025-2025)

Impressively fresh for a Toro wine, this is still as intense as you might expect from the region: The black-plum flavors are substantial enough to push back against the concentrated fruit tannins. It’s smooth and plush, yielding some redder notes of plums as it opens with air. A refined Toro, it’s a relatively affordable way in to Vega-Sicilia’s portfolio. —J.G.

Harmonious, with good depth, this solid red delivers black cherry and currant flavors backed by licorice, tar and smoky notes. Firm tannins and fresh acidity give it a balanced structure. Drink now through 2025. 17,000 cases made, 1,065 cases imported. — TM