A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2000 Tinto exhibits an impressively saturated color, abundant extract, full body, rustic tannin, and notes of tar, smoke, black currants, cherries, dried herbs, and damp earth. Importer: David Shiverick, Langdon-Shiverick, Cleveland, OH; tel. (216) 861-6800

This distinctive, artisinal, hand-crafted Tinto was aged 12 months in French oak and three years in bottle prior to release. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc, it boasts a dense opaque purple color as well as aromas of blueberry liqueur, crushed stones, acacia flowers, and a hint of wood. It is an impeccably made, tightly knit, medium-bodied red that comes across as a hybrid version of a Bordeaux and a mountain-styled California Cabernet Sauvignon. Savory and rich, but playing it close to the vest, it will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring, and should age for 10-15. Importer: Langdon Shiverick, Cleveland, OH; tel. (216) 861-6800

This new winery, located four kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea, not far from the internationally renowned Spanish restaurant, El Bulli, is making a Bordeaux-like blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc aged in French oak for six months prior to being moved to large vats. This sleeper effort needs time in the bottle to reveal its full potential. Aromas of black currants, blackberries, olives, cedar, and spicy French oak are followed by a long, impressively built red with a fat mid-section and supple tannin in the finish. Concentrated as well as elegant, it should drink well for 10-12 years. Importer: Jorge Ordonez, Fine Estates From Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (781) 461-5767