D.O. Toro, Spain. 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) the region's traditional grape variety (locally known as Tempranillo). The wine comes from organic vineyards, both ungrafted and grafted, with approximately 60% of the vines between 15 and 40 years old and 40% over 45 years old. These vineyards are located in historic areas of Toro, such as La Jara and the Valdefinjas highlands, where sandy soils with pebbles impart freshness and minerality to the fruit and the wine's structure.
Vinification involves fermentation and maceration in small concrete and stainless steel tanks for about 20–25 days, allowing for a balanced extraction of color, tannins, and fruit without overpowering the structure. After fermentation, the wine ages for 6–8 months in French and American oak barrels—initially on its lees—which adds complexity, smoothness, and notes of vanilla and toast without masking the fruit. Before being released to the market, it rests for several months in the bottle to allow all its layers to integrate.
In the glass, El Primer Paso 2024 presents an intense purple-red color with violet hues. The nose combines ripe black and red fruits (blackberry, bramble) with spicy notes, cocoa, coffee, and licorice. On the palate, it offers a firm and balanced structure, rounded tannins, and a long, flavorful finish that displays both vibrant freshness and depth. It is a wine with aging potential of 5 to 10 years, although it can also be enjoyed young for its pleasant texture and fruity expressiveness.
Dominio del Bendito is a winery located in Toro (Zamora, Spain), founded in 2004 by Antony Terryn, a French winemaker who, after traveling and working in various wine regions around the world, chose Toro as the ideal place to develop his own winemaking project.
Antony Terryn—the heart and soul of Dominio del Bendito—arrived in Toro in 2003 determined to find a terroir that would allow him to express authentic, personal wines true to their origin. After collaborating with wineries in France, Portugal, Chile, South Africa, and the United States, he purchased small plots in historic vineyards in Toro, such as La Jara, many of them with old vines planted on their own rootstock (ungrafted), characteristics he sought for their ability to produce wines with greater tension, energy, and connection to the land.
From the beginning, Dominio del Bendito's philosophy has been to work with sustainable agriculture and organic practices, maintaining moderate yields and hand-harvesting to preserve the integrity of the grapes. In the winery, minimal intervention is key, with careful fermentations, barrel aging when necessary, and vinification that allows the character of the Tinta de Toro grape and the Toro terroir to express themselves naturally.
Today, the estate boasts approximately 32–40 hectares of its own vineyards, under direct management. Many of these vineyards feature old vines over 90 years old, both ungrafted and grafted, growing in sandy soils with pebbles that promote good drainage and sustained ripening. In addition to El Primer Paso, the winery produces other wines that explore different facets of the Toro terroir, including longer-aged red wines (Las Sabias, La Cuesta de las Musas, Titán del Bendito), as well as white (Mi Verdadejo), rosé, and sweet wines.
Terryn and his team's vision has been to offer wines with their own character, evocative of the place and the work in the vineyard, seeking a balance between fruit, structure and natural expression, without losing sight of the stylistic identity of Toro.
