The 2008 El Albar Excelencia is 100% Tinta de Toro aged in barrel for 24 months. Pain grille, pencil lead, smoke, spice box, black cherry, and blackberry aromas are followed by a structured wine that will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring. This lengthy effort will provide optimum drinking from 2013 to 2020. Bodega Francois Lurton’s newest releases are uniformly excellent.Importer: Adam Sager, Winesellers Ltd., Skokie, IL; Tel. (847) 679-0121

The garnet-colored 2006 El Albar Excelencia is 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) aged for 16-18 months in French oak. It reveals aromas of cedar, leather, violets, and confiture of black cherry. Structured on the palate, it has plenty of ripe, spicy fruit, good depth, and a lengthy, pure finish. Drink this solid effort from 2012 to 2021.Importer: Adam Sager, Winesellers Ltd., Skokie, IL; tel. (847) 679-0121

The 2005 Excelencia, tasted from a barrel sample, is fragrant, rich, layered, and potentially opulent. This wine should have a high upside once it is in the bottle.Importer: Winesellers Ltd., Skokie, IL; tel. (847) 679-0121

The 2003 Excelencia, from slightly older vines, spent 16 months in French oak and was bottled without filtration. Opaque purple, it offers an enticing bouquet of cedar, pencil lead, violets, and blackberry. Slightly compressed and quite tannic on the palate, the wine is tightly wound but appears to have enough fruit to reach equilibrium after extended cellaring of 6-8 years. Its purchase is something of a gamble because of its balance issues. Importer: Winesellers Ltd., Skokie, IL; tel. (847) 679-0121