Alabaster 2022

The star wine of the Eguren family's project in Toro is made from the most remarkable raw material: grapes from three pre-phylloxera vineyards, hand-destemmed and vinified with care and rigour to preserve their character and identity. It seduces with an exuberant, ripe fruit expression that is at the same time fine, elegant and complex.

The Wine Advocate
RP 97

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The 2022 Alabaster, made with Tinta de Toro from 11.5 hectares of old ungrafted vines, is the most elegant and complete of the 2022s, with great balance and a tasty, silky, long finish. It's hard to believe the wine spent 18 months in new French oak barrels, as the oak is fully integrated and does not interfere with the aromas at all. There are many overripe wines in the region, but this shows controlled ripeness, with volume and very elegant, round tannins. It's a step up in elegance and subtlety from the Victorino. 7,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in June 2024.

I tasted the latest releases from the Eguren family in Toro a little earlier in the year, when I tasted their Riojas. It's quite a different expression of Tempranillo in Toro compared with Rioja, more exuberant and fruit-focused here. They produce 230,000 bottles a year.

Published: 19 June 2025

Teso La Monja Alabaster 2022 achieved a historic distinction in the Guía Peñín, receiving the maximum score of 100 points, reflecting its exceptional quality.

On tasting it shows a deep, expressive aromatic profile, with ripe black fruit such as blackberry and blueberry, wrapped in nuances of liquorice, pure cocoa and delicate spices. The mineral component is well defined, with subtle balsamic notes adding freshness and complexity.

On the palate it is broad and structured, with polished, silky, perfectly integrated tannins. Well-judged acidity contributes to the wine's balance, while the long, tasty finish extends elegantly without becoming excessive.

The whole conveys a remarkable sense of harmony, where power and elegance coexist with precision, faithfully expressing the character of the Toro terroir and the intensity of Tinta de Toro without compromising its sophistication.