The 2004 Lealtanza Reserva Seleccion Especial spent 18 months in new French oak. Made in a more contemporary style than the Reserva, it delivers a complex bouquet of pain grille, pencil lead, smoke, Asian spices, lavender, and blackberry. Dense, layered, and voluminous on the palate, it has gobs of spicy black fruits, notes of mineral and spice, and enough structure to evolve for 3-4 years. Drink this great value in high-class Rioja from 2013 to 2024. Importer: The Artisan Collection, New York, NY; tel. (212) 608-0722

This lively red delivers rich, dark flavors of blackberry, coffee and tobacco, but has good acidity and firm, well-integrated tannins for structure. Spice and mineral notes linger on the finish. Drink now through 2014. 400 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Rioja Select to Add

Deep ruby. Ripe cherry and plum jam on the nose, with complicating notes of vanilla, candied flowers and cola. Deeply pitched, nicely concentrated dark fruit flavors stain the palate, with smoke and floral notes adding nuance on the back half. Shows the power of the vintage but there's excellent energy here as well. The smoke and floral notes carry through on the long, clinging finish.

A chunky wine with compost, coffee and leather on the nose. The palate holds onto that chunkiness with clumsy flatness that goes with herbal plum and berry flavors. Airing allows it to unfold and find a better place, but always does it seem heavy and on the murky side. ——M.S.(10/1/2010)—— 86