Elías Mora, a winery from Toro wine region, Spain

Located in San Román de Hornija, a hamlet of Valladolid within the D.O. Toro, there is the winery Elías Mora, and at the head of it, the viticulture Victoria Benavides, faithful to a way to elaborate the wine in the most traditional way possible.

Founded in 2000, the winery owes its name to the former owner of the first vineyard acquired, Elías Mora. All its wines are made from the predominant grapes in the area, the Tinta Fina de Toro. All of them red, and owe their unique character, not so much to the elaboration as to the different "terroir" from where they come.

They are vineyards cultivated in a traditional way, in glass, some of them very old, pre-phylloxeric, and they settle in high ground, on poor soils, in an extreme climate, with great variation of temperature not only seasonal, but day to night, and where the rain is scarce (400 mm). The sum of these factors shape the quality of the grapes. 17 hectares of own vineyard, and 76 more of several vine growers, make up the cultivated area. Its 70% wine is destined for export, with Europe and America being its main destinations.

                                                      

The philosophy of Victoria Benavides combines tradition and modernity. According to his own words "the wine cellar is near the vineyard, where we combine the knowledge of our ancestors with modern technology, and in the heart of the cellar the wine aging in barrels. Only natural products to grow wines: oak, natural cork and glass ".

In its eagerness to spread its philosophy and its wines, wine tourism has become one of the pillars of the winery, including three types of visits: Elías Mora Básica, Elías Mora Tradición, and Elías Mora VIP.

We sample three wines from the winery, all made with the Tinta de Toro variety, but all with different nuances.

VIÑAS ELIAS MORA

Toro, Castilla y León

Producer: Elías Mora winery;  http://bodegaseliasmora.com                                                                 

Year 2015
Variety: 100% Tinta de Toro
Elaboration: Manual harvest in boxes of 20 kilos. 6 months in French oak barrels.               

Sevice: 13º-15º C.                                                                                                                                

Alcohol: 14, 5 º C.

Wine from an intense purple color with purple ribbons that herald youth. Aromas to black fruits of the forest, blackberries, but also appears the characteristic licorice taste of the Tinta de Toro. It is a long drink wine, fresh, alive, thought to drink in any occasion. Tasty and fruity presents an astringency very tamed by the presence of the new cask. Good acidity integrated with ripe tannins that bring freshness.

ELIAS MORA crianza

Toro, Castilla y León

Producer: Elías Mora winery; http://bodegaseliasmora.com 

Year 2014
Variety: 100% Tinta de Toro
Elaboration: Manual harvest in boxes of 20 kilos. 18 months in French and American oak barrels.               Service: 14º-15º C.                                                                                                                                  

Alcohol: 14, 5 º C.

The cherry red color with violet borders predominates in the eye. Clean - a quality that we will see repeated in all the wines of the winery -, it presents complex aromas, where they mix roasted, (fruit of its 18 months in new American and French oak barrels), along with dairy and vanilla, and in addition to licorice. The wood, the black fruit, and the acidity appear again balanced. It is a silky wine, persistent, to be drunk step by step.

DESCARTE

Toro, Castilla y León

Producer: Elías Mora winery; http://bodegaseliasmora.com 

Year 2013
Variety: 100% Tinta de Toro
Elaboration: Manual harvest in boxes of 20 kilos. 12 months in new French  oak barrels.                    

Service: 14º-15º C.

Alcohol: 14, 5 º C.

Very vivid purple wine, it is of all the wines tasted the closest to the concept of author wine. It is a very fresh wine, despite its 12 months in new French barrel. It is very aromatic, emphasizing in the nose the red ripe fruit, but in the mouth it is also characterized by the presence of black fruit. The vineyards from which this wine comes (100% Tinta de Toro) are oriented to the north, which gives it that special character that translates into a more lively acidity and freshness typical of Atlantic wines.