Those Eyes......

Those eyes, I just can't stop staring into them. I wonder what they've seen over decades of working in the fields, harvesting grapes in Spain.

The wine is El Viejo; 100% Tempranillo from 100 year old vines in Toro, Spain. Matsu makes three different Tempranillo's, each bottle depicting the face of a viticulturalist, to honor the work they put into nurturing vines and growing grapes. The youngest face, is obviously the youngest wine. El Viejo to the left, the oldest.

I learned about this wine while writing a piece on labels for Times Of The Islands magazine (currently on newsstands). I didn't review the wine, just told it's story. But from the time I saw this particular bottle I've been wanting to see what was in it. Last night, I finally got the chance.

I immediately smelled cocoa in the glass, I tasted it also. The wine was a delicious blend of  dark fruit, smoke and spice. It had the body and substance that had hoped for and expected. Sipping the juice, staring at the bottle, I felt a great sense of gratitude for the work of the man on the label and others like him, who make it possible for me to enjoy the "drink of the Gods"! Salud!