The incredibly young and lively red 2013 Negre Tradició is a balsamic and spicy blend of 45% Merlot, 30% Petit Verdot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon that has a velvety Mediterranean profile, with good ripeness and a notable absence of green or herbal aromas. It has 14.5% alcohol and a soft and round palate with fully resolved tannins. The wine matured in 225-liter oak barrels for one year and then spent a further six years in bottle, which has polished the wine to a very gentle texture. This is a very good value for the age, quality and complexity of the wine. 24,992 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2015.

Tobacco and balsamic notes frame dried cherry, mushroom and earthy flavors in this lean red. Tangy acidity and light, firm tannins are prominent. Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now. 4,000 cases made.??–TM??Region: Spain / Penedès Select to Add

A classical red blend, the 2009 Negre Tradició is a generously oaked mixture of Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot from a warm and dry year that delivered a ripe wine. It matured in 225-liter French oak barrels for 14 months. What is quite amazing is that the wine is kept in bottle for seven years before it's sold. After all this time, the wine is still offered at a low price. The wine is still quite oaky, with a Bordeaux-like profile and classical aromas of herbs, berries and generous spices and smoke. It has a polished palate with resolved tannins and a clean, serious profile. It still feels quite young—it has freshness and is quite round. 52,981 bottles and 756 magnums produced.

Coffee and loamy earth notes frame plum and dried herb flavors in this savory red. Orange-peel acidity and grippy tannins keep this focused. Drink now. 4,000 cases made.??–TM??Region: Spain / Penedès Select to Add

The 2008 Can Feixes Negre Tradicio is a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot aged in oak barrels. The nose seems to be dominated by the aromas of the Bordeaux grapes, with notes of black pepper, raspberry leaves, blackberries and cassis, with some creamy oak and sweet spices thrown in. The palate is medium-bodied with some grainy tannins and a fresh herbaceous note toward the finish. A well-crafted, pleasant, if slightly anonymous, red blend. Drink now-2017. Can Feixes is a good source for clean, true-to-their-type, affordable wines. I had a preview of a very good 2008 Chardonnay which I enjoyed, but they won’t release it until 2015, so it will hopefully be reviewed in the next round. Cal Raspallet has quickly made a name for itself with the white Nun Vinya dels Taus, a well-oaked Xarello from a single vineyard organically farmed in the heart of Penedes. Importer: Steve Metzler, Bonafide Wines, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 297-6713