Cyan Prestigio Tinta de Toro Reserva 2016

As a quintessential Tempranillo from Toro Zamora, a region known for rich, complex red wines, the 2016 Cyan Prestigio Tinta de Toro (91 Points – Decanter) is one big, bold, powerful potion. Sporting a deep impenetrable color and redolent with the scents of dark cherry, plum, and aromatic herbs, the 2016 Cyan Prestigio makes a statement from the moment it wafts from the glass. It is, also, highly extracted, intense on the palate, and burnished with 18 months of ageing in French and American oak barrels. Sumptuous flavors of black fruits, garrigue, and vanilla oak emerge in the mouth. Hints of sandalwood, spice and vanilla meld with the wine’s black fruits to enliven the palate. Each sip reveals richer fruit flavors and additional nuances of flavor, which explode on the wine’s long, lengthy finish. Considerable aeration (30 minutes or more) will reveal and enhance the hedonistic pleasure inherent in Cyan’s bold-flavored 2016 Prestigio. For optimum enjoyment, we also suggest serving this Spanish classic at cool room temperature (58º- 62º F). Anticipated maturity: 2022-2028. Enjoy!

In Spain, it is traditional to serve full-bodied red wines with grilled meats, rich stews, and heady paellas, and we see no reason to deviate from that tradition with the 2016 Cyan Prestigio Tinta de Toro, but that’s not all with this wine. Beef and lamb make especially fine accompaniments, while this Tempranillo works equally well with poultry, pork, and spicy sausages. A spicy bean cassoulet provides another tasty accompaniment, and we would not hesitate to serve the bold, beautiful 2016 Prestigio with venison tenderloin, prepared with glazed onions and served in a rich black currant sauce. Hearty soups, served with crusty brick oven bread and slices of a fine Spanish cheese such as Manchego or Roncal, provide other tried and true companions. A garlic and herb roasted rotisserie chicken provides another excellent accompaniment to Cyan’s flagship wine as does a combination of marinated eggplant, zucchini, roasted red peppers, garlic and olive oil. Rich tomato based dishes and pastas shine in the company of the 2016 Cyan Prestigio Tinta de Toro, too. Whatever you decide to serve, enjoy!

In 1999, the Matarromera family founded the Cyan Winery in Valdefinjas along the Spanish Duero. The Cyan Winery is the company’s latest development along the Spanish Duero and their final crown jewel. It lies nestled in the far western end of the Toro Denominación de Origen, a mere 12 kilometers from Zamora province in Toro. Cyan looks out to impressive views in every direction in a region that lays claim to a longstanding winemaking tradition. Cyan is also a trailblazer and a trendsetter in Toro where traditional winemaking and state of the art facilities combine to produce world class wines.

At Cyan, Tinta de Toro, the local name for the region’s Tempranillo grape, reigns supreme. The bodega’s vineyards are located in several areas near the Duero. In one part, the traditional Tinta de Toro vines stretch out on sandy sloping hills where they share the land with local white varieties such as Malvasia, Palomino, and Albillo surrounded by forests of stone pine and fruit trees. In La Calera, the Tinta de Toro vineyards nearest the winery thrive in the region’s unique limestone-rich calcareous soils from which La Calera derives its name. These distinct soils and terroirs yield rich, dark, complex red wines from old vines, many of which are in excess of 80 years of age.

Since its inception, Cyan has been one of the most lauded Toro wineries, drawing accolades from both national and international critics, for the consummate quality of its wines. However, Cyan is more than vineyards and a winery: it’s a working farm comprised of 100 acres of vineyards, olives, orchards, and pines, all of which add biodiversity to the land and lend special characteristics to Cyan’s wines.

Although Cyan specializes in fashioning wines from the region’s ancient clone of Tempranillo, Tinta de Toro, the bodega also produces small amounts of white wine from local varieties in addition to a full line of Tinta de Toros, which include Tinta de Toro, Crianza, and Prestigio. Made from old vines of organically grown grapes, Prestigio is this month’s feature and Cyan’s flagship offering. It’s also the bodega’s biggest and longest lived wine.