The 2004 Vina El Pison is purple/black in color with an ethereal bouquet found only in the greatest wines. Vanilla, spice box, truffle, wild blueberry, black raspberry, and blackberry liqueur are descriptors that come to mind but which cannot really convey the other-worldy nature of this perfume. On the palate, it is opulent, beautifully delineated, elegant and powerful all at the same time. Impeccably balanced and amazingly long, this wine is a pleasure to drink now but will still be providing pleasure 40-50 years from now (with good storage). Kudos to Bodegas Artadi for this tour de force!

The consulting winemaker at Bodegas El Nido is Chris Ringland of Barossa Valley fame. Amazingly, the 2004 El Nido is even better. It is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell sourced from the same vineyards as its sibling but from the tenderloin portions, and it received the same oak treatment. Similar in color, the nose offers a beautiful perfume of pain grille, vanilla, forest floor, black currant, and blackberry liqueur. The wine is more elegant on the palate with a velvety texture, layers of spicy black fruits, and great depth and balance. It admirably marries elegance and power. Cellar this fabulous wine for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 10-15.

The Finca El Bosque label has become one of the benchmarks for the modern style of Rioja. The 2005 Finca El Bosque is sourced from its namesake vineyard encompassing 3.66 acres planted in 1973. It went through malolactic fermentation in new oak followed by 16 months in new, mostly French, oak. Inky purple-colored, it has a sexy nose of toasty new oak, truffle, espresso, mineral, blackberry, and plum. This leads to a muscular, tightly wound, layered wine with gobs of fruit and enough structure to evolve for a decade. Lengthy and pure, this superb effort will be at its best between 2018 and 2040.

A super bargain, the 2003 Termes enjoys malolactic fermentation in barrel and is aged 16 months in old French oak. Its dense ruby/purple hue is accompanied by sweet aromas of black fruits, charcoal, licorice, and pepper. Spicy, rich, medium to full-bodied, and exuberantly fruity, it can be enjoyed over the next 2-4 years.

CONDITION: stained label This house makes rather restrained yet rich, flavorful vintage port and a very good tawny called Nimrod. Their vintage ports seem slow to develop, and while they never quite have the voluptuous richness of a Dow, Graham, or Fonseca, they have a unique mineral-scented character that gives them their own complexity and style. The 1977 is quite powerful, very deep and intense, particularly for Warre

This wine has an imperfection.