Numanthia launches €95,000 Loewe leather barrel

Bodega Numanthia in Toro has collaborated with Spanish fashion house Loewe on a bespoke leather barrel filled with 2016 Termanthia, priced at €95,000.

By the looks of the initials, db’s fine wine editor, Rupert Millar, has taken an interest in the barrel

The barrel is the fruit of a canny collaboration between the winery and fashion house, which are both owned by luxury goods giant, the LVMH group. The 225 litre barrel, equivalent to 300 75cl bottles, is crafted from French oak and covered in Loewe leather.

For the ultimate bespoke service, those interested in buying a barrel can have their initials appear in the middle of the it in one of seven tints via the process of leather marquetry, which requires precision and an eagle eye.

The Loewe leather is available in five different shades

They can further personalise their barrel by choosing from five different shades of calf leather, including navy and tan and ‘ox blood’.

Available on demand, the barrel will be delivered to the buyer’s home in December 2018. The service also includes the chance to bottle the wine inside in the standard 75cl, magnum, 5-litre, or Balthazar (12-litre) format.

“The Numanthia barrel by Loewe is a tribute to the Spanish craftsmanship, savoir-faire and audacity. Together, we have reinterpreted a core symbol of winemaking, the barrel, in an unprecedented style,” said Jean-Guillaume Prats, president of Moët Hennessy’s wine division.

“Numanthia and Loewe share a common essence that made this collaboration coherent.

“Both are Spanish luxury brands with more than a century of history and are driven by the pursuit of excellence and the importance of craftsmanship,” added Pascale Lepoivre, CEO of Loewe.

Numanthia is known for its rich, concentrated, powerful reds made from foot trodden Tinta de Toro grapes – Tempranillo’s incarnation in Toro – from pre-phylloxera vines.

The wine sees 200% French oak as it undergoes a second barrel ageing and spends a total of 20 months spent in wood, leading to notes of coffee, chocolate and leather alongside opulent black fruit notes. A 75cl bottle sells for around £120.

Currently ageing in the Numanthia cellars, according to its makers, Termanthia 2016, “already promises extraordinary fruit concentration, remarkable freshness, intense structure and exquisite balance.”

Based in Madrid, Loewe specialises in leather goods, clothes, accessories and homeware.