The 2010 Alabaster was cropped even lower than the 2011 at seven hectoliters per hectare and later on October 9 and 10. The bouquet is tightly wound at the moment, with lifted black cherries, blueberry and a scent of cold stone, though there is some oak to be absorbed. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, supple tannins, crisp acidity and a fine sense of symmetry towards the persistent finish, with white pepper enlivening the aftertaste. This is another great wine from Teso La Monja Drink 2016-2028. Just as many music artists must ponder exactly how they follow up a global smash, so brothers Marcos and Miguel Eguren must have sat down and wondered how they could repeat the success of Numanthia-Termes, after they sold the estate to LVMH. They founded Teso La Monja in 2007. They farm 90 hectares of what they describe as “middle and old vineyards” plus another 72 hectares of “young” vineyard. I asked Miguel to explain his approach towards viticulture. “It is growing the healthiest, purest grapes as possible,” he replied. “The philosophy is to transmit the character and the essence of the land into every bottle of wine. Everything is done with the minimum intervention, the vinification more Burgundian in style than Bordelais, to look for gentle extraction, obtain and look after the tannins in the pips. Therefore, we are seeking a lower degree of natural alcohol. We are looking for the freshness and elegance. We have sought north-facing, high-altitude vineyards with a longer vegetative cycle and we are looking for minerality. Our passion is the vineyard. Our wines are different – we are looking for acidity around 5 or 5.7 because we have a slight limestone concentration. We have also purchased a lot of stony vineyards to minimize the thermal jump at the end of the growing season. We are looking for sugar, aromatic and phenolic ripeness that are closer together. Most of the vineyards are planted on a slope to enhance drainage and the Atlantic winds means that ripeness comes 7 to 10 days later. Less licorice notes, more red rather than dark fruits with higher acidity level and lower alcohol and perhaps less tannic structure, less green tannins because the long vegetative cycle allows us to reach a phenolic ripeness.” There are five lines from the entry level: Romanico, Almirez, Victorino, Alabaster and Teso La Monja. All represent top-class wine as one would expect, though for this writer, the Almirez offers pretty much unbeatable value for money. Importer: Jorge Ordonez, Fine Estates from Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (781) 461-5767

This plush, modern red delivers complex and harmonious flavors with density and depth, yet remains graceful through the long, spicy finish, offering notes of black cherry, floral, espresso, mineral and sanguine over well-integrated tannins. Drink now through 2018. 1,500 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Toro Select to Add