2004 Bodega Numanthia, Termanthia Toro

100 / 100 RobertParker.com, Reviewed by: Jay Miller

Believe it or not, the 2004 Termanthia is even better than the Numanthia. From an 11 acre plot, 2600 feet above sea level, planted with 100+-year-old ungrafted vines, the yields were well under 1 ton of fruit per acre. The wine was barrel fermented and received the “200% new oak” treatment over 20 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Opaque purple-colored, the wine has an awesome nose which is already multi-faceted. There are elements of pain grille, lead pencil, mineral, violets, blueberry and blackberry with just a bit more subtlety and nuance than its two colleagues. On the palate the wine is an infant developmentally with densely packed ripe fruit, sensational balance, and a seamlessness that must be tasted to be believed. It should age like a great vintage of Lafite or Latour and have at least a 50 year life span. If you have a soul, sell it to the devil for a few bottles of this extraordinary liquid. There are only 1500 bottles for the American market.