The 2015 Carmelo Rodero TSM is a blend of Tempranillo with 10% (Cabernet) Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, hence the acronym in the name. It feels a little heavier with lots of volume and ripeness, with black fruit and abundant grainy tannins. It has more of an international style and finishes dry. 11,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2018.

I never got to taste the 2012 vintage, so I jumped to the 2014 Carmelo Rodero Tsm, Tempranillo with 15% (Cabernet) Sauvignon and 10% Merlot that make the acronym of the name. It fermented in 500-liter oak barrels with indigenous yeasts and matured in new French oak barriques for 18 months. Despite the élevage, the nose is quite harmonious and doesn't show too oaky. The palate is medium to full-bodied with some grainy tannins that might need some more time in bottle to calm down. There is good balance, but I perceived better freshness and harmony in its siblings. 12,000 bottles produced.

Rich and seamless, this plush red offers black cherry, boysenberry, chocolate and toasty flavors that mingle over well-integrated tannins, showing enough acidity for freshness. Deep and expressive, gentle and harmonious. Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2025. 400 cases made, 75 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Ribera del Duero Select to Add

The 2011 TSM makes a reference to the grapes used, 75% Tempranillo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and feels serious and concentrated with minty and smoky aromas, plenty of spices and ripe black fruit. The palate is full-bodied, with abundant, grainy tannins that would benefit from time in bottle. Drink 2014-2018. I tasted some heavyweight bottles from Carmelo Rodero and was generally impressed with what I saw. Importer: Quigley Fine Wines, Oceanside, CA; tel. (619) 501-8555, www.quigleyfinewines.com

The 2005 Carmelo Rodero TSM is the winery’s nod to the trend of making a more internationally styled wine. Composed of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from 50+-year-old vineyards, the wine was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, the wine has a superb bouquet of pain grille, pencil lead, scorched earth, violets, black currants, and blackberry liqueur. This is followed by a full-bodied, nearly opulent wine with excellent concentration, fine depth, and 6-8 years of cellaring potential. Well-balanced and long in the finish, it should drink well through 2030. Importer: Jose Pastor, Vinos and Gourmet, Richmond, CA; tel. (510) 237-0077