Bodega Numanthia

A Spanish Diamond

Firmly rooted in the history and terroir of Spain, the Bodega Numanthia estate is the place where powerful and intense wines are born, iconic incarnations of the prestigious. Denomination of Origin Toro.

Identity

The name of the estate dates back to roman times. In 134 b.C., the residents of the ancient city of Numancia resisted the roman invaders, choosing to die over surrender. This noble heritage echoes the Numanthia terroir: its hardy and resistant vines have been able to endure the region’s extreme climate conditions, as well as the phylloxera attack which destroyed most of Europe’s vineyards in the 19th century. The result of this epic endurance was that a number of small plots of vineyards survived and were carefully managed by local families, who preserved them over the years, fully aware of the extraordinary value of their land.

Situated in the northwest Spain, on clay plateaus and slopes, these old vineyards produce intense and powerful vintages year after year. The wines are produced solely from the Spanish tinta de toro variety, and are left to ripen fully, giving particularly concentrated and aroma-rich grapes. They are the very best expression of the Spanish designation of origin toro.

History

Founded in 1998, Bodega Numanthia, located in Valdefinjas, castile and León, in the northwest of Spain, is a veritable emblem of the toro region wines.

Bodega Numanthia is living tribute to the fearless warriors of Numancia in Spain, whose inhabitants heroically resisted the roman army for 20 years in 134 b.C. And finally preferred to sacrifice their lives rather than surrender.

This resilience is also found in the toro wines in a region with longstanding traditions in winemaking and viticulture. These vineyards were planted by pioneer families centuries ago, back in roman times and since then, they have shown resilience surviving the phylloxera plague during the sixths century and the extreme climate conditions typical of the region year after year. During the Middle Ages, toro wines were also the first in the world to travel to the americas, carried on Christopher Columbus’ ships in 1492.

All shaped in bush vines and ungrafted, some of our vines are reaching up to 150 years old and are spread all around the denomination of origin toro in distinctive terroirs.

Bodega Numanthia was the first estate to understand the potential of the toro region and to reveal an outstanding spanish terroir to the world, bringing the most beautiful expression of the timeless Tinta de Toro grape variety.

Our Terroirs

Our vines, growing in a sandy and rocky soil, are a living symbol of resilience. They have been able to resist to time despite no irrigation being used, having to develop their roots up to 5 meters to reach the much-needed water.

Living embodiments of tenacity, they are strong in the face of the sharpest winter and the heaviest summer’s suffocating heat, one famous saying refers to as “nine months of winter, three months of hell”.

Our vineyards are a patchwork of over one hundred tiny plots, ensuring complexity and richness. Our vines are very old, some dating back to 120 years.

Preserving this unique patrimony is at the heart of our philosophy. All of the work in the vineyards are entirely manual in order to maintain the balance of the vines and the quality of the grapes. Our vines are dry-farmed and are managed organically and no pesticides are used.

Bodega Numanthia produces three expressions of a unique single varietal, Tinta de toro, an autochthonous and rare grape variety said to be “the blackest of black grapes” and renowned for its concentration, balanced tannins and elegant notes.

Member of the Tempranillo family, the Tinta de toro has adapted successfully to the toro terroir producing very low yields, among the lowest in the world (<2000kg/ha), ensuring high concentration, expressive wines and impressive quality.

The estate is an untapped diamond, raw and requiring expert hands to cultivate and shape the complex and elegant aromas of its wines.

Il vigneto di Bodega Numanthia è composto da 200 ettari (494 acri) di vigneto nei comuni di toro, Morales de toro, Valdefinjas, venialbo, el pego e argujillo.

Bodega Numanthia’s vineyard is composed of 200 hectares (494 acres) of vines in the communes of Toro, Morales de Toro, Valdefinjas, Venialbo, el Pego and Argujillo. We manage a patchwork of 200 parcels across the toro d.O., located on either side of the Duero river. The diversity of these scattered vineyards ensures a wide range of terroir expressions. Bodega Numanthia is the only winery in toro that represents so fully the d.O. Toro, being rich from its 8 terroirs types, embodying the full diversity of the denomination. Each terroir has its own characteristics - soil, altitude, microclimate - and provide a distinctive expression of Tinta de Toro. Parcels are vinified separately before being carefully blended by the winemaking team. The result is a wine with a unique balance of elegance and power.

We are at our very heart preservationists. The entirety of our operation is dedicated to making wines that honestly reflect the spare bounty of these vineyards. When you drink a wine from Bodega Numanthia we want you to savor the fruit of our diversity of climate, terroir and ancient vines which together create wines of uncommon texture, vibrance and beauty.

Architecture

A hidden treasure can be found at the boundary of this age-old estate: a 16th-century church, built by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañon, architect to the catholic monarchs. The building is at the top of the village of Valdefinjas, and had been in ruins since the 1970s. A renovation project was financed by the estate in order to restore this architectural gem. Work was carried out on the walls, the structure and the roof, to prevent it from collapsing completely. In seven months, the church’s exterior was returned practically to its original state. The inside houses some wonderful treasures including the sacristy floor from the 13th century, and a magnificent cupola carved into the stone. This outstanding discovery, revealed to local residents during an organized tour, has energized the village and offered the estate a priceless historical treasure.

Our Wines 

The production and selection of only the best grapes from the toro terroir is the foundation of our wine portfolio. Grapes from our low- yielding vines, aged of 50 years and over, are picked at the moment of optimal ripeness. Then our winemaking process consists in extracting each fruit’s full potential, and ensuring the inherent elegance, structure and intense fruit flavors of the tinta de toro.

Bodega Numanthia creates three expressions of the Tinta de Toro : Termes, Numanthia and Termanthia.

Sustainability 

Preserving the legacy of our old vineyards for the next generations is upon us. That’s why we are acting in preserving them along with their environment and biodiversity in various ways.

Our vineyard has always been managed in a sustainable way. We have never used any pesticides or herbicides and our very low density of plantation allows us to avoid irrigation. Today, the totality of our managed vineyard is certified organic, and we keep increasing this surface with our partner winegrowers.

Our 200 plots, all around the region are generally surrounded by forest and scrubland and we own 16 hectares of organically grown pine forest. These areas act as biodiversity protectors and we do our best to develop and preserve the natural habitat for animals and plant species.

Sustainability has always been present in all of our actions at Bodega Numanthia. From the vineyards to our vinification process, we are proud to share that our cellar is now also certified organic. In order to use less energy and a greener one, we have installed solar panels on the roof of the cellar that are able to generate almost all the electricity we need.

To reduce our water consumption, we recycle our wastewater through an internal purification station. All our efforts were rewarded when we were honored the iso 14001 certification in 2019. This recognition attests our involvement in environmental management.

Insights

“Our vineyards have resisted the extreme climate conditions in toro as well as the phylloxera attack for years. These vineyards symbolize the unique Bodega Numanthia heritage, very old vines dating back over a hundred years. We hope to preserve these ancient vines and their expression, which combines both the structural power and elegance of terroir that can be found in our wines.”

Savoir-Faire

Bodega Numanthia estate covers 83 hectares.  On these sunny parcels, the vineyards are planted far away from one another, not aligned in perfect rows. In order to survive the dry climate, the vines need plenty of space so that their roots can spread out deep into the soil. But Bodega Numanthia vines are unique not only in terms of their layout, but also by their age: 40% are over 70 years old, and the extraordinary 4.8-hectare parcel of teso de los carriles includes a handful of vine stocks that are over 140 years old. The art of oenology entails extracting the very best from these incredible vines, particularly the intense fruit aromas that are so specific to the Tinta de Toro grape, while shaping the elegance and structure of this appellation. While this approach to winemaking is shared by all three wines produced at the estate, each of them (termes, Numanthia and termanthia) has its own style and profile, sometimes vibrant and fruity, sometimes intense and powerful but always elegant and sophisticated.

Products Bodega Numanthia