Bodega Numanthia, Toro, Spain
Lucas Löwi (centre front), Estate Director at Bodega Numanthia and his team
Toro, Spain
Bodega Numanthia was founded in 1998 with the aim of producing the finest expression of Tinta de Toro from exceptional ungrafted, old, Phylloxera-resistant bush vines in the Toro DO in NW Spain.
Vineyards here are comprised of a patchwork of tiny plots with an average altitude of 700m. Low density plantings, just 1,100 vines per ha, enable the vines - some of which are 120 years old - to survive without irrigation. Yields are amongst the lowest in the world, 2,000-3,000 kilos per ha, and grapes show remarkable fruit concentration and structure.
Lucas Löwi, moved from his home country of Argentina to Spain in 2015 and has been at the helm of Bodega Numanthia ever since. As the Estate Director, Lucas seeks to preserve the unique heritage of the Bodega’s centenarian ungrafted bush vines and create wines that will be recognised as the reference within the Toro appellation and classified among the best in Spain.
“Today, in Toro we are the caretakers of these ancient survivors; hundreds of ungrafted centenarian vines that demand painstaking human efforts to sustain them. We spent decades researching and studying the best practices for maintaining these vines and continue today with even more dedication. As guardians of such a unique and precious heritage, we consider it our purpose to craft the finest expressions of these vines.”