2020 Elias Mora Vinas Toro Spain 750 ml

We were in one of Spain’s marquee regions, Ribera del Duero, having just checked “Visit Vega Sicilia” off our bucket list. Now we were ready for the dense, opulent, and criminally underrated wines of Toro. 

When we took a sip of Bodegas Elias Mora’s 2020 Viñas Toro at a roadside tasca, we were reminded of how Toro wines got their reputation. This wine is larger than life—and its personality dwarfs its minuscule price tag, making it easily a go-to red. 

Praised by Vinous as “among Spain’s elite,” Elias Mora channels the power of Toro’s ancient vines and warm climate into a dense, multifaceted red that magically balances its power with complexity and elegance. It’s a triumph of old-vine grapegrowing and winemaking, crafted from 100% ungrafted Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo).

Enchanted by this wine, we extended our time in Toro to visit the winery, and were stunned by the vineyards’ resemblance to their pricy neighbors in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Gnarled bush vines spider their roots through crumbly, rocky soil tinged red by minerals, hunting for precious water reserves. The few clusters eked out by each bush are supercharged with concentration. 

Today, winemaker Victoria Benavides focuses solely on Tempranillo, allowing her to understand each vine and its intricacies so that she can achieve the perfect blend. 

High elevations preserve fresh acidity born of the dramatic temperature variation between dry, sweltering afternoons and cold, crisp nights. After harvest, the wine ages for 12 months in used French and American oak barrels, lending it a hard-to-resist mix of cocoa, exotic spice, and silky tannins. It’s a spicy red that sings alongside paper-thin Iberico ham, grilled lamb, or a juicy cheeseburger.