The 2008 Seleccion 50 Aniversario is a blend of 67% Tempranillo with the balance Petit Verdot and Syrah aged in new oak for 4 months before racking into seasoned oak for an additional 12 months. Opaque purple in color, it gives up a reticent nose of cedar, spice box, violets, and assorted black fruits. There is enough structure to support 2-3 years of additional cellaring at which point the aromatics will hopefully have more to say.Casa Gualda’s value-priced releases were unimpressive.Importer: Steven Berardi Selections, Denver, CO; Tel. (303) 838-1963

The 2006 Seleccion 50 Anniversario is a blend of old-vine Tempranillo and the best barrels of Petit Verdot and Syrah aged in new French oak for 5 months before racking into seasoned barrels for another 9 months. The wine was bottled without filtration. A saturated purple color, the nose exhibits fragrant scents of pain grille, pencil lead, Asian spices, licorice, espresso, blackberry, and plum. Dense, concentrated, and layered, this full-flavored, powerful offering will benefit from 3-5 years of additional aging and will have a drinking window extending from 2014 to 2025. Casa Gualda’s current collection is uniformly excellent. Importer: Steven Berardi Selections, Denver, CO; tel. (303) 838-1963