Leafy and underbrush notes frame tart cherry and smoky flavors in this lean red. Light tannins and orange peel acidity keep this focused as the sweet vanilla finish lingers. Drink now through 2019. 10,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Toro Select to Add

The 2010 Bajoz Crianza, which comes from 50-year-old Tinta de Toro vines and sees eight months in American and French (Allier) oak, offers much better delineation on the nose with fresh strawberry and raspberry leaf aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a little fatness in the mouth, and a gentle grip on the strawberry and Morello finish that shows a respectable degree of elegance for the price. Drink now-2015. Vina Bajoz is one of Toro’s stalwarts, established back in 1952 (as “Nuestra Senora de la Vinas”). They control a considerable 1,000 hectares of vine, and their winery can process 13 million liters per annum. Felix Solis Avantis acquired the estate in September 2008 as part of their Pago del Rey brand line alongside wineries located in Rueda, Ribera del Duero and Rioja. Theirs is a good, reliable, well-priced portfolio of Toro wines, although my scores reflect the fact that smaller wineries are able to be more exacting in a wine region that demands a more “micro” style of winemaking. Importer: Luneau Inc Westport, CT; tel. (203) 222-7733; and Ciatti (California); tel. (415) 458-5150; www.ciatti.com