The soon-to-be-released 1999 Numanthia confirms just how special these wines are. An amazing effort from Toro, it was made from yields of 1.5 tons of fruit per acre, aged 18 months in new French wood, and bottled with neither fining nor filtration. A black/ruby color is followed by an explosive perfume of sweet blackberries, cassis, licorice, minerals, and smoke. With great intensity, fabulously sweet tannin, and high glycerin levels, this wine establishes a new benchmark for the Toro appellation. There are 300 cases of the 1999 for the American marketplace.

Voluptuous international style. This lush Spanish red teems with toasty, chocolate oak flavors, thickly overlaid on ripe plum and blackberry fruit. It's well-structured, with firm, ripe tannins and heady alcohol. Impressive.