The 2005 Val de los Frailes Prestigio comes from the 8-hectare Pago de Vinas Viejas vineyard and sees 14 months in French and American oak. It has a compressed nose of blackberry jam, cassis and blueberry that is rather sultry at the moment. The palate is better, with grippy tannins and dense, dry black fruit, but it falls away very sharply on the dry finish. I cannot help but feel that this would have been better a couple of years ago. Drink now. Located in the sub-region of Cubillas de Santa Marta, Bodegas Valdelofrailes is part of Grupo Mattarromera run by the Carlos Moro family (see Bodegas Emina in last issue’s Ribera del Duero report). Established in 1999, they presently farm around 78 hectares of vine in Cubillas de Santa Marta and Valoria la Buena that includes some century-old plantings. I visited their facility, a functional rather than aesthetically pleasing winery equipped with modern machinery and approximately 800 American and French oak barrels. Importer: Matarromera USA Inc. www.grupomatarromera.com

Cherry compote with well-integrated oak. High volatile acidity. Complex but let down by a slightly coarse finish.

The 2004 Prestigio spent 16 months in new oak. Damp earth, pencil shavings, wood smoke, violets, and blackberry are some of the elements composing the bouquet of this rich, plush, succulent offering. Nicely proportioned with a sense of elegance, this lengthy red will evolve for 2-3 years and provide optimum drinking from 2013 to 2024. Bodega Valdelosfrailes is part of Carlos Moro's Matarromera group of wineries. Valdelosfrailes is located in the overlooked, but excellent, DO of Cigales, not far from Ribera del Duero. Importers: Matarromera USA, Hoboken, NJ; Tel. (310) 625-5301; in New York and New Jersey, Carlos Hubner-Arteta, Vinos Libres, New York, NY; Tel. (917) 282-6994

The 2002 Prestigio spent 14 months in French and American oak. Dark ruby-colored, it offers up scents of cedar, tobacco, and black cherry. Medium-bodied with a supple texture, the wine has some elegance and enough structure to keep drinking well for another 3-4 years. Importer: Andres Arribas, Wine Associates Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ; tel. (908) 534-8946