The 2005 Alma de Tobia Tinto is also 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha aged for 24 months in new French oak. The fruit was sourced from vines of over 70 years of age. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up a classy bouquet of pain grille, pencil lead, cinnamon, leather, tobacco, and blackberry. Opulent on the palate with a sense of refinement, it has ample ripe fruit, soft tannins, and impeccable balance. This beautifully rendered wine will have a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2030. Importer: Tom George, Frontier Wine Imports, Dover, NJ; tel. (973) 328-4500

Sweet lift. Velvet texture, lots of oak balanced by fruit and fresh acidity. Extracted, but huge concentration. Very modern style - a blockbuster type, if you like that.

The 2004 Alma de Tobia Tinto is made in a more modern style from the estate’s oldest vineyards and best grapes. It is composed of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha and spent 20 months in new French oak before being bottled unfiltered. Opaque purple-colored, the nose shows lots of toasty oak and vanilla with black cherry and black raspberry fruit in the background. The wine is straightforward on the palate revealing more oak than fruit. Time in the bottle may result in better integration but that is a risk. Give it at least 3-5 years to evolve and drink it through 2025. Importer: Thomas George, Frontier Wine Imports, Dover, NJ; tel. (973) 328-4500

Big, earthy nose. Good vineyard depth and lively fruit. Youthful wine and good extraction, but a bit raw and four square.