The 2013 El Picaro feels too young and a little reductive with the profile of the fresh, unoaked wine with aromas of wild berries and licorice and a medium-bodied, fruit-driven and straightforward palate. Drink now.
Matsu belongs to the Vintae group from Rioja (Hacienda Lopez de Haro). In Toro they have a strong image with labels wearing full-size pictures of men from three different generations for wines called Picaro (the young guy), the experienced man and the grandfather. They landed in the appellation in 2006 and own no vineyards, but control 200 hectares, some of them extremely old, one of the attractive characteristics that brought them to Toro in the first place. The wines are well-crafted, fermented in cement vats in a large winery and aged in a mixture of old and new oak barrels in a commercial style, following the same path as their wines from Rioja.
Importer: Askari O.H. LLC. Austin, TX; tel. (512) 928-979, www.askarioh.com