The 1998 Cirsion is a big, rich effort, offering a gorgeous bouquet of ripe black fruits, licorice, oak, and spice. Tobacco, herb, black cherry, and currant fruit intermingle with pain grille and truffle flavors. Medium to full-bodied, sweet, and pure, this impressive 1998 is youthful but accessible. It promises to evolve for 15 years. Importer: Lauber Imports, Somerville, NJ; tel. (908) 725-2100

Yes, it costs a fortune, but this first-of-its-kind release from Bodegas Roda delivers tons of extraction and concentration along with subtleties that complete the package. It’s yet another new-world-styled red from Spain sporting incredible density and depth. Flavors of prune, coffee and smoked meat yield to a finish of soft vanilla oak and the blackest coffee. Brooding, earthy, and intense now, it will become friendlier after a couple of years in the cellar.——W.E.(8/1/2000)—— 94