The 2021 Vatan is powerful, suave, complex and a fantastic value for what it is. Coming from Jorge Ordonez, it shouldn't be a surprise to find a wine this good for the price, since he's been involved in the Spanish wine industry like few others. With his import company and winery projects, he introduced Americans to new Spanish wine regions, like Toro. This place was a winemaking hotspot in the Middle Ages, but had become a backwater until Jorge co-founded the Numanthia-Termes winery in the late 1990s. After selling it, he founded Bodegas Vatan based around plots of old bush-vines that were planted in 1900. Thanks to deep sandy soils that are inhospitable to the phylloxera pest, they are planted with their own roots (unlike most of the world's vines).
The make-up of Vatan is truly "Jorge" - the dirt comes first as Jorge discovered a small 14 acre plot of austere old vines ageing in range from 72 – 105 years old with miniscule yields. The Toro region built its reputation with a power and depth unlike any other Tempranillo-based wine. The Vatan is upfront and hedonistic for sure, but it is Vatan's excellent clarity and vibrancy, its pretty perfumes, fine-grained tannin and surprising layers that make it so much more than a one-note fruit bomb. Call it hedonism at its best. Delicious.
VINOUS 96 POINTS - "The 2021 Vatan Tinta de Toro opens with aromas of violets, lavender, fresh plum and raspberry, all framed by subtle oak and a touch of cedar. Intense and creamy, the palate is broad and flavorful, with velvety, finely textured tannins. The finish is long, delivering depth and nuance. This is a balanced and elegant Tempranillo with a measured profile. Tannins show gentle grip, bringing tension that complements the wine’s volume and richness. A superb vintage that lends this wine exceptional depth." - Joaquin Hidalgo
If you know and like the wines of Jorge Ordonez, you've got to love this. To refresh your memory, he introduced the world to Moncayo, El Nido "Clio", Emilio Moro and more. Ring any bells yet? How about Volver, Breca, Tarima Hill, Triga, Vatan, Tres Picos, Ramirez de la Piscina and Muga? Yes, this pioneer has brought bottled pleasure to plenty of grateful wine drinkers.
The make-up of Vatan is truly "Jorge" - the dirt comes first as Jorge discovered a small 14 acre plot of austere old vines ageing in range from 72 – 105 years old with miniscule yields. The Toro region built its reputation with a power and depth unlike any other Tempranillo-based wine. The Vatan is upfront and hedonistic for sure, but it is Vatan's excellent clarity and vibrancy, its pretty perfumes, fine-grained tannin and surprising layers that make it so much more than a one-note fruit bomb. Call it hedonism at its best. Delicious.
VINOUS 96 POINTS - "The 2021 Vatan Tinta de Toro opens with aromas of violets, lavender, fresh plum and raspberry, all framed by subtle oak and a touch of cedar. Intense and creamy, the palate is broad and flavorful, with velvety, finely textured tannins. The finish is long, delivering depth and nuance. This is a balanced and elegant Tempranillo with a measured profile. Tannins show gentle grip, bringing tension that complements the wine’s volume and richness. A superb vintage that lends this wine exceptional depth." - Joaquin Hidalgo
If you know and like the wines of Jorge Ordonez, you've got to love this. To refresh your memory, he introduced the world to Moncayo, El Nido "Clio", Emilio Moro and more. Ring any bells yet? How about Volver, Breca, Tarima Hill, Triga, Vatan, Tres Picos, Ramirez de la Piscina and Muga? Yes, this pioneer has brought bottled pleasure to plenty of grateful wine drinkers.
