Tinta de Toro, the local clone of Tempranillo, comes from Toro, a region renowned for its dusty country roads and gnarled old vines. This thick-skinned, tannic clone inherently possesses everything needed for a dense, juicy red wine, so in Telmo Rodríguez’s cellar it is made with only short ageing and minimal use of oak, exclusively from old, bush vine vineyards. A true terroir wine, in the noblest sense of the word.

Telmo Rodríguez has worked in almost all of Spain’s historic wine regions, at times sparking terroir-driven revolutions, at others rescuing old grape varieties and decaying vineyards. The best-known wine from his Toro estate is Dehesa Gago, which since its very first vintage has been made exclusively from the local Tempranillo clone, Tinta de Toro. This barren, hot region is home to some of the world’s oldest traditionally bush-trained vineyards, tended by true local growers who believe in organic methods and low yields. Telmo Rodríguez brought these growers together when working on this wine.

Dehesa Gago is always bottled young, after 4-6 months of tank ageing, and it offers a direct expression of the place, the grape variety and the people behind it. Despite its concentration, spiciness and soft acidity, it remains vibrant and energetic. Alongside black cherry aromas, animal, forest floor and earthy notes emerge.