In early 2007, the wine world was rocked by Parker's Spanish wine ratings. His reviewer, Dr. Jay Miller gave a coveted 100 points to Bodegas Numanthia's Termanthia - a wine from a little known region - Toro.
Toro is home to great old vine Tempranillo - here called Tinta de Toro - old vines planted on original root stock. (Toro's soil is very sandy, and the Phyloxera louse cannot live in soil - hence no grafting European vines -Vitis Vinifera - onto Vitis Lambrusca - American rootstock).
Termanthia's holdings included many small old vine plots, some ranging over 150 years old of head pruned, dry farmed Tempranillo.
Since their founding in 1998, Bodegas Termanthia has never gotten less than 90 points from Parker, with most of the scores ranging from 94 points upwards.
The wine world was equally shocked, when in late 2007, the Eguren family (winemakers and growers) and Jorge Ordoñez (importer) sold Termanthia to LVMH, a huge French luxury brands company.
What folks didn't know was that the Egurens and Jorge had built a new winery nearby, and had been quietly tending to an equally impressive collection of old vine vineyards. Soon after the sale to LVMH, they announced the formation of Teso La Monja.
A project built around a collection of vineyards scattered around Toro, Zamora, Valdefinjas and Villabuena del Puente. Here the vines are between 650-800 metres and are planted on mainly very deep sand (incredibly up to 5 metres in parts) with out crops of large galet stones and with, in certain areas, harder clay subsoils.
The "young" parcels are 15-60 years old and go into the Almirez, the 60 year plus vines are reserved for Alabaster and Victorino. The vineyards are treated with typical Eguren care and attention, everything is hand picked into small boxes to avoid crushing, yields are tiny (between 10-20 hl/ha) and ageing takes place in french oak barrels. The result is stunning wine of great intensity, fragrance, charm and purity, these are every bit as concentrated as their Numanthia Termes predecessors with a finer, more subtle quality to them.
So, this month you have a choice of Almirez (younger vines $30), Victorino (medium aged vines $65) or Alabaster (double 100% new oak old vines $225). Not yet reviewed by the pundits, I expect that these wines will take the wine world by storm. 
Almirez Toro From the estate’s ‘young’ vines (up to 65 years old) aged for 12 months in 30% new oak and the result of yields of 20 hl/ha. Less tannic than the 2007 but with an equally strong impact on the palate, fragrant and exquisitely fine but really intense and silky smooth, crushed red fruits, plums, blueberries, fresh cut flowers, with cooling, refreshing mineral notes, long, bursting red berry finish, stunning. 
Victorino Toro The Victorino is the result of 11 ton/acre from vines in La Jara and Valdefinjas zones averaging 70 years old, aged in new French oak for 18 months. This shows a quite unbelievable freshness and acidity for a Toro where so often the wines are big and bruising. This is something really special; wonderful fresh flower aromas, notes of violet, rose petal and fruit blossom, juicy bursting fruit flavours of plum, damson and bilberry, with an underlying salt and mineral vitality, an absolute beauty that will sweep you off your feet. 
Alabaster Toro A 100% Tinta de Toro from pre-Phylloxera vines that yields a mere 1/2 ton per acre it undergoes malolactic fermentation in new French oak vats and then is racked into new French oak barriques where it spends an average 18 months. All of this oak is only marginally perceptible when tasting; this is a very serious wine indeed of huge concentration and power yet with definition and poise. Less fragrant and floral than the estate’s other two Toros but there is still an exquisite precision and polish on show here. Deep brooding flavours of clove spice, fresh cherries, blueberries, Morello and briar, this is multi-layered, strong but svelte, and the finish is huge. A wine of indelible presence.
Recipe Catalan Pork Sausage with Wild Mushrooms serves four
Butifarra is a mild Spanish pork sausage from the Catalonia region, and mushrooms which are hugely popular there, are paired with them in the recipe from chef Jose Andres.
* 1 pound Butifarra (or any mild pork sausage)
* 1/4 pound Chanterelles, or other wild mushrooms1 tablespoon Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 onion, sliced
* 1/4 cup Moscatel or other sweet dessert wine
* 2 thyme sprigs
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 tablespoons raisins
* 2 tablespoons pine nuts
* Sea salt
* 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Remove the sausage skins and cut the meat into 1" pieces. Slice the mushrooms in half or quarters depending on their size.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium low heat. Add the sausage and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausages to a plate. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour in the moscatel and reduce until the alcohol evaporates, about 30 seconds.
Increase the heat to medium, add the mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook for another 2 minutes. Return the sausage to the pan, mix in the raisins and pine nuts, and cook for 2 more minutes. Season to taste with the salt and garnish with the parsley.
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