'Dehesa Gago' Tinta de Toro 2022

Dehesa Gago was one of Telmo and Pablo’s first wines labels. In fact, the first vintage of Dehesa Gago (1999) sported the full G label now worn by big sister Gago. The ‘Baby G’ label came into being for the 2000, release when Gago 1999 joined the fold.
Most of the fruit for Dehesa Gago comes from chalky limestone soils filled out with (really) big pebbles near Morales de Toro, north of Toro.

The wine is fermented in large concrete, steel and old oak vats, and aged unwooded in stainless steel, undergoing a couple of rackings to mature the wine in air. With no additions save for a necessary touch of sulphur at bottling, Dehesa Gago is an utterly natural expression of local fruit structured by natural grape tannin and acid.

Glac̩e cherry and dark fruit tea, with touches of smoky brush, pepperminty and whole-of-orchard balsalm and florals. There's husky spice, with the powerful silt-clay soils of Toro are in clear evidence underneath. All lovely and exuberant, but the real point with this wine is just how delicate and pared back it is compared to the Toro norm. Unwooded (aged in concrete and old wood vats) it's not fruity, not raw, not heavy, just a beautifully moderated fruit riot organised on glorious, gravelly, grip-and-release fruit tannins. Simple and special, with spread and reach, never sweet, heavy nor lumpy.