The 2017 El Bon Homme is a 50/50 blend of Monastrell with Cabernet Sauvignon. It was harvested earlier because most of the 2017 grapes—and the wine—revealed some herbal notes. It's balsamic and revealed a smoky twist. The palate is medium-bodied, approachable, making it an easy-to-drink red. 70,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2018.

The red 2016 El Bon Homme is a 50/50 blend of Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon from a dry and early harvest fermented in small vats and matured in used 225-liter French barriques. I found some blurry aromas, something earthy and organic, an animal touch with hints of shoe polish, graphite and licorice. The palate showed some rusticity and a dry and somehow bitter finish. 50,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2017.

The obviously young 2015 El Bon Homme is a blend of Monastrell with 40% Cabernet Sauvignon that feels very primary and fruit-driven, with notes of juicy berries and no influence from the four months in used 225-liter oak barrels. The palate is light and fluid, pleasant, accessible and fresh, very easy to drink. 45,000 bottles were filled in April 2016.

Produced with equal parts of Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 El Bon Homme is a joint-venture with Canadian Nathalie Bonhomme that was cropped from a fresh vintage. The grapes from young vines fermented in open vats and matured in used French oak barriques for four months. It has a leafy nose mixing Mediterranean and Atlantic characteristics, some cedar and sandal wood quite aromatic. The palate is medium-bodied, with refined tannins and very good acidity. This is a pleasant red blend that is accessible now, but should improve in bottle. 40,000 bottles were produced.

The 2010 El Bon Homme (a blend of 50% Monastrell and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon) possesses a bold, ripe, licorice-scented bouquet with notions of lavender and eau-de-vie. The palate is a little pinched on the entry and, to be honest, I find that it lacks harmony, as if the Cabernet and the Monastrell are not “playing on the same team,” leaving the finish rather dry and severe. Drink now-2014. Rafael Cambra established his bodega in 2001 when he acquired a parcel of un-grafted 50-year old Monastrell vines located at 650 meters, that he augmented with some high-density plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. He is a winemaker who has adopted a minimal intervention policy and ages the wines in 500 liter French oak barrels. The wines are neither fined nor filtered. These good wines are sometimes let down by a lack of synergy between varieties, as if two people are dancing to different tunes. Importer: Tom George, Frontier Wine Imports, Dover, NJ; tel. (973) 328-4500; and www.indigowine.co.uk in the UK.