This polished red offers expressive flavors of dried cherry, cigar box, orange peel and black tea, with well-integrated tannins and bright acidity that give way to a floral and smoky finish. Racy but focused. Drink now through 2019. 5 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Rioja Select to Add

Dense, rich and well carved, with chocolate, balsamic notes, moss and burnt toast to go with beefy black fruit aromas. The palate is full, generous and not at all lazy, with blasting blackberry, cassis, tobacco and toasty flavors. Acidic and tannic on one hand, but deep and pure on the other. It needs a few more years to knit together. Drink 2012–2018. ——M.S.(10/1/2010)—— 92

Bold flavors of black cherry, cranberry, toast and mineral are expressive yet harmonious in this firm, fresh red. It shows concentration, yet remains lively. Drink now through 2015. 40 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Rioja Select to Add

Smoky, dark and alluring is how this modern-leaning Rioja starts out. The nose is meaty and ultraripe, but balanced. And so is the palate, which shows flavors of blackberry, cassis, tobacco, cola and coffee. The finish is cuddly and long, with a splinter of coconut and lots of spice. A “racimo” in Spanish is a bunch, so the name refers to the three or so grape bunches that each vine produces.——M.S.(4/1/2009)—— 93