A well-balanced, medium- to full-bodied red, featuring fragrant smoke, Mediterranean herb and grilled meat notes, which serve as a savory thread winding through a core of black plum reduction and baked black cherry. Supple tannins firm the balsamico-laced finish. Drink now through 2027. 500 cases made, 100 cases imported.??–AN??Region: Spain / Cigales Select to Add

An expressive, concentrated red with an appealing profile. Offers dried cherry, tobacco leaf and orange peel notes, lined with menthol, loamy earth, dried orange peel and raspberry reduction accents. Supple tannins give nice texture and support through the finish. Drink now through 2027. 250 cases made, 25 cases imported.??–GS??Region: Spain / Cigales Select to Add

This rich red delivers bold flavors of kirsch, candied orange peel, tobacco, vanilla and spice. The thick texture is supported by chewy tannins and bright acidity. Bold, concentrated and expressive. Drink now through 2026. 250 cases made, 25 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Cigales Select to Add

Again, the 2010 Numerus Clausus may not be terribly exciting, but it made it into bottle exactly as Neal saw it last year, a serious, balanced, harmonious red with plenty of balsamic notes of tobacco, incense, cedar wood, vanilla and some tertiary notes of leather and hung meat developing around a core of ripe black fruit. The palate is medium to full-bodied, quite powerful, ready for business, ideal with a roasted lamb. It seems like they have not yet made up their mind about prices, though. Drink now-2018. Finca Museum belongs to the Riojan group Baron de Ley. These are reliable, well-crafted wines produced with Tempranillo, not so far in character from its Riojan cousins. Importer: Frederic Wildman Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700; www.fredericwildman.com

I tasted a barrel sample of the 2009 Numerus Clausus. It comes from a 115-hectare parcel, “El Perdiguero,” which is apparently inhabited by partridges. It is raised and matured in French barriques from three coopers: Seguin Moreau, Radoux and Sylvain. This had been in new oak for three years and due to be bottled a few weeks after my tasting. It offers a lush, creamy, well-defined bouquet of ripe red berry fruit laced with violets, vanilla, blueberry jam and wild strawberry – all very seductive thanks as much to the oak regime as the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with mocha-tinged black fruit on the entry. It is very well-balanced, soft on the entry, but certainly displaying good structure. This is an elegant, refined wine with very fine tannins towards the finish imparting focus and poise. It has handled the oak extremely well and should evolve into a sophisticated Cigales red. Drink 2015-2022. Cigales is a region of mainly small, rudimentary, functional wineries without the frills, and therefore the 12 million euros invested by Baron de Ley means that their enormous facility stands out on this unpopulated landscape, looking imperiously over the Pisuerga valley. It is an enormous, modern facility with seemingly endless rows of barrels. It was their first venture beyond the confines of Rioja, having identified Cigales as a region that could offer potential value for money. Four million euros was invested in their 185 hectares of vineyards, planted with predominantly Tempranillo and 41 hectares containing vines in excess of 60 years. There is an additional 100 hectares of vines under long-term contract. Despite its size, the fruit is harvested manually and around 10% is de-selected on the sorting table. The wines are fermented in stainless steel and aged in French and American oak – 5,300 barriques in total. Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700