The 2012 Val de los Frailes Tempranillo is very deep in color. The nose is rich and comparatively opulent for a Cigales (more like a Ribera del Duero). The palate is full-bodied with dense, slightly coarse tannins and a “chunky” finish that offers plenty of ripe, black earthy fruit. It has little finesse, but it is fresh and clean with commercial appeal. 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

The 2011 Val de los Frailes Tempranillo offers simple black currant and boysenberry fruit on the nose. The palate is chewy on the entry, with rather hard tannins, while the finish is a little mealy and attenuated in the mouth. Personally, I would plump for the 2012. 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

The 2010 Tempranillo gives up a bouquet of dusty earth, mineral, and black cherry. Savory on the palate with a smooth texture and an easygoing personality, it is a very good value for drinking over the next 3 years. 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