Another very cool Spanish wine label: Balcon de la Villa, Toro 2006
Posted on November 30th, 2008
Saved in Red wine, Sour Grapes recommends, €10-€15
Another example of the fun the Spanish are having with their wine labels. This one is from Toro, in the high plains on the north west of Spain with the horns playing on the Spanish for bull.
More on Tinta Tinto de Toro
The grape is Tinta de Toro – a synonym for Tempranillo. Tempranillo is most famous in Rioja, but it’s also known as Tinto del Pias and Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero along with Cencibel in La Mancha and Valdepeñas.
Toro’s Tempranillo style
In Rioja, Tempranillo is mostly expressed in a lighter, elegant style (think Burgundy Pinot Noir) where Toro’s Tempranillo is a bigger, more full-bodied wine.
Available from?
The Balcon de la Villa is made by respected Toro winery, Covitoro, but with an M&S label. Great value at around €12.
That’s a pretty cool design alright!
Hi from Canada!
Nice looking label – and cool looking blog.
Am going to bookmark it and check back to read more.
(Saw your comment on WLTV.)
Best wishes,
T
http://twitter.com/vanguy
http://TheProvince.com/liveat5
In my limited experience – I don’t drink all that much wine – I think M&S are the ones to watch and learn from if you’re a rival supermarket conscious of being lazy about wine, or if you’re an independent business keeping an eye on the big concerns. The presentation of the bottles is usually all right, and sometimes much better than that, and M&S’s control over this kind of thing can be dramatically effective: I was astonished by the utter pinkness of the rosé section last time I was in the shop (showing a NZ winemaker the ‘Irish market’ in action).
I agree. It’s a good label, one I’d pick up for closer inspection anyway, and the beefy (ahem) Toros are certainly in tune with a cross-section of tastes.
The UK’s M&S selection seems to be much better too, offering wine which is also available from the wine specialists/independents.
One word of caution, though Julian. I’d avoid the M&S pink sparkling chardonnay that comes with their regular meal deals unless you wanted to make a sorbet out of it.
Consider me warned. Thanks.
Hi Lar,
A note to let you know of a champagne tasting that we at Oddbins are putting on next Wednesday 10th of December at The Ocean Bar. We have been lucky enough to be able to bring along the Krug 1996 which received a very healthy 99 points on wine spectator. The Champagnes are as follows:
Krug 1996
Bollinger La Grande Annee 1999
Veuve Clicquot 2002
Moet Chandon 2000
Billecart Salmon Demi Sec
Bonnet Blanc de Noir
Gimonnet Blanc de Blanc
Laurent Perrier Rose
Tickets are 40 euro and includes wine and food. Hope you can make it. More details available from paul_walsh@oddbins.com