There is more oak and more marked lactic notes in the 2014 La Mula de la Quietud, but it's cleaner than the rest of the range here, possibly because they used new barrels (30 months in new barriques). The new barrels have lent the wine abundant oaky and spicy aromas and a dried-out palate with lots of oak tannins. 3,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2017.

The 2012 La Mula de la Quietud also had some ink and tempera paint aromas intermixed with notes of licorice, cured meat and leather. The palate revealed a leathery texture with a tendency to dry your palate, leaving a dusty sensation. 1,600 bottles.

The 2008 La Mula de la Quietud comes from two parcels of 90-year-old vines that together make one hectare that, according to Jean-Francois, accumulate sugar rapidly during the growing season. It is matured in new French oak for 24 months and then aged for another year in bottle. It has a very rich, opulent bouquet of sloes, dark plum and a touch of fresh prune. If you were to ask me, I would have picked this a day or two earlier. The palate is medium-bodied with a ripe entry of dark cherry, raspberry coulis and wild strawberry. It is smooth and generous, though again, it is just a little too sweet on the finish at the expense of more finesse and tension. Still, this is a respectable, extroverted Toro red that has sufficient freshness to keep you contented. Drink now-2018. The Toro landscape was aglow when I visited Quinta de la Quietud as the sun began to set upon its 22 hectares of dry farmed, organically trained bush vines. The estate itself was founded in 1999. Winemaker Jean-Francois Hebrard, who used to work with Jean-Luc Colombo, used to practice pigeage on his Toro wines, but he told me that in recent years he has moved towards delestage in order to extract softer tannins Importer: Petit Pois Corp, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608-9644