2021 Flor de Vetus Toro, Vetus

• Style: Deep ruby, firm structure, ripe and precise
• Taste: Dark cherry, liquorice, smoked meat, wild herbs
• Food: Braised beef, game, roast dinners, grilled dishes
• Occasion: Weeknight; Sunday lunch
• Serve: 16–18°C, decant 20 mins

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Deep ruby shot through with violet, this wine delivers the power and restraint that defines great value Spanish reds. Expect the dark-cherry intensity Tinta de Toro is known for, layered with liquorice, smoked meat and wild Mediterranean herbs, all wrapped in a firm but graceful structure. The 2021 vintage — marked by a harsh winter that naturally cleaned the vineyard and a slow, steady ripening — tastes both ripe and precise. This is food wine, not decoration.

The Winery — Bodegas Vetus

Tempranillo specialists since 2003, Bodegas Vetus works from 30-year-old vines planted on south-facing slopes in Villabuena del Puente at 700 metres elevation. Continental extremes — scorching days, freezing nights — slow ripening to perfection. Low yields of around five tonnes per hectare, organic farming, and hand-harvest discipline ensure every berry reaches the winery with purpose. Rigorous sorting and temperature-controlled fermentation precede malolactic conversion in tank, then nine months split between French and American oak barrels. That measured oak treatment — half new, half aged cask — adds structure without drowning the fruit.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This wine marries power and refinement with the acidity to make roasted lamb, grilled pork and braised beef sing. Perfect alongside charcuterie, game and venison, or as your Sunday lunch centrepiece with roast dinners and rich stews. Serve at 16–18°C, decanting for 20 minutes to open up the herb and smoke layers. Organic, vegan and vegetarian, this sits at the heart of our Toro selection and represents everything the region has learned about balancing intensity with finesse. If you've loved other old-vine expressions from Spain, explore the rest of our Tempranillo offerings — you'll find similar philosophy across different altitudes and terroirs.