"Toro wines are fierce, nearly savage versions of tempranillo.  This wine brims over with black fruit flavors, currants, and figs while the oak adds a touch of smoke.  For those who find Rioja a bit too delicate!"  P. Granback, Spanish Buyer.

"The 2003 Elias Mora Crianza comes from older vines and was aged for 12 months in French and American oak. Purple-colored with glass-coating glycerin, the nose offers up muted cedar, blueberry and blackberry jam aromas. Medium to full-bodied, the wine has abundant fruit with excellent ripeness and depth of flavor. A powerful effort, this wine should be cellared for 2-3 years and drunk through 2017."  91 pts, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Feb. 2007.

"Ruby-red. Powerful, smoky and rich on the nose, with ripe scents of cherry preserves, minerals, roasted coffee and chocolate. Then surprisingly fresh and energetic in the mouth, with tangy red fruit flavors joined on the back by mocha and mineral notes Finishes with silky tannins, a fresh strawberry flavor and a dense, chewy texture. This could be drunk now with a couple hours of decanting."  90 pts, Steven Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep/Oct 06.