Bodegas Matsu, 'El Viejo', Toro

€48.99

'The Old One' of the Matsu range, both on the label and also in reference to the vines: these, for this incredible wine, are an average of 110 years old. Planted before the Easter Rising and the first World War. Isn't that just amazing? Matsu means 'wait' in Japanese, and, boy oh boy, what a wait! 

Broadly speaking, older vines produce a lower yield of fruit, but the fruit that they do grow has far greater concentration and complexity than younger vines. And these qualities really show here.

In 2005, Matsu found themselves among the largest number of centenary and pre-phylloxera vineyards they had ever seen: the sandy soils, perfect for the vines, made life very difficult for the nasty Phylloxera bug, and the ideal continental climate prevented the onset of vineyard diseases. This magic Venn-diagram resulted in the continuous growing of these ow legendary vineyards. To top it off, when Matsu took on the vineyards, they inherited practices run with an ethos of ancestral viticulture, based on respect for natural, biodynamic rhythms.

Picked by hand in high altitude vineyards, these Tinta del Toro grapes (yep, that's Tempranillo to most of us) are aged for 16 months in new French oak barrels.

This is a powerful and structured wine. It's dense and rich and loaded full of rich cherry, bramble and vanilla, lavender and violet notes. Its long, dry and cocoa-like finish is heavy at first, then lifts to red berries and coulis-like texture, making you come backl for more.

Apart from the sensational characters that it possesses right now, it will age for many years to come. It truly is history in a bottle.

Region: Toro

Country: Spain

Grape(s): Tempranillo

Style: Smooth, Organic, Full, Fruity, Dark, Creamy, Complex, Broad, Balanced

Best food matches: Venison, Tapas, Steak, Pork, Pizza, Pasta, Mature Cheeses

Alcohol: 14.5%

Why buy from us?

When you buy wine from The Allotment Wine Co. you're helping a small Irish company that in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers who grow the grapes and make amazing wines. We only work with partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.

Delivery & Returns

You'll get free delivery when you buy 12 x 75cl bottles of wine online from The Allotment, saving you €7.99.

We charge €7.99 per delivery for quantities less than that.

Our hours for processing orders are between 9am - 6pm Monday to Friday.

We pack your online wine order along the following timelines:

Wine orders for delivery in Dublin, received before 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected the next working day.

Wine orders for nationwide delivery, received by 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected two working days later.

Customer reviews

★★★★★
Great choice and excellent service. Received my delivery the next day.
Paul H.
★★★★★
Amazing service from the get go!
I emailed Chris looking for wine recommendations for a birthday gift. Got a really speedy, helpful reply and not only that but he hand delivered it on time to the birthday girl wishing her a happy birthday. Absolutely bowled over by the service. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Michelle McM.
★★★★★
Could not recommend The Allotment enough. The selection is fantastic and each wine that I've drank from them has been utterly phenomenal. Delivery was no hassle and I had the wine at my door in 2 days. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Luke B.
★★★★★
Good range of interesting wines. Good personal attention to their orders. Very customer focused. I would be happy to recommend this company to any prospective customer.
Jim D.
★★★★★
A great experience ordering from The Allotment Wine Company. A wide variety of wines to try something new and at good prices with super quick delivery! Really convenient too as opposed to trying to find parking!
N. Dowling
★★★★★
Delicious and interesting range of wines delivered promptly to my door. Not far off that lovely feeling of coming back laden from a good wine store but without any of the traffic or the worry of breaking the wine en route (very impressive travel wrap).
M. Dorman
★★★★★
Chris fields a fine range of excellent, keenly-priced wines. Orders are safely packaged and dispatched efficiently and promptly. Strongly recommended.
David M.
★★★★★
Great selection of wines, hassle free ordering, payment and delivery. Highly recommended.
Patrick H.
Hi, I'm Chris Gifford.

And you're very welcome to The Allotment Wine Co.

When you wine from me, you're supporting a small Irish business which in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers, as well as other small, dedicated Irish wine importers.

When selecting wines, I look for partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.