The 2008 Gran Viu Seleccion a blend of 55% Garnacha, 30% Vidadillo, and 15% Tempranillo, was sourced from vines averaging 60 years of age and aged for 14 months in new French and American oak. Wood smoke, mineral, spice box, and black cherry scents inform the nose of this ripe, sweet, pleasure-bent offering. Drink it over the next 6-8 years. Importer: Tom George, Frontier Wines, Dover, NJ; Tel. (973) 328-4500

The 2007 Gran Viu Seleccion is a blend of 50% Garnacha, 30% Vidadillo, and 20% Tempranillo with an average vine age of 60 years. It was aged for 14 months in new oak, 60% French and 40% American before bottling without filtration. Purple in color, it surrenders an already complex bouquet of sandalwood, pencil lead, mineral, Asian spices, incense, black cherry, and blackberry. Sweet, ripe, and succulent on the palate with outstanding volume and impeccable balance, this lengthy offering will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring and offer prime drinking through 2022. Bodegas Pablo is a family-owned winery in the DO of Carinena. They farm biodynamically and the estate vineyards range in age from 30 to 100+ years. They have maintained the local clone of Garnacha and also have a parcel of the rare Vidadillo grape.Importer: Frontier Wine Imports, Dover, NJ;

The 2006 Gran Viu Seleccion is a blend of 60% Garnacha, 25% Tempranillo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah aged in 100% new French and American oak. Deep crimson-colored, it offers up an attractive nose of toasty oak, violets, spice box, black cherry, and blackberry. This is followed by a medium-bodied wine with plenty of sweet fruit, spice notes, and enough structure to evolve for 3-5 years.This lengthy effort should be at its best from 2012 to 2024. Vinedos y Bodegas Pablo offers several excellent red and white wine values that are noted in Issue 181. The Pablo family farms biodynamically using no herbicides or chemicals and all the wines are estate grown and bottled.Importer: Tom George, Frontier Wine Imports, Dover, NJ; tel. (973) 328-4500

Rather oily and hard on the nose, with dried cheese, brett, mint and black fruit. The palate is rich and extremely forward, and the flavors are sweet but not that substantive or complex. Chocolate and mocha on the finish are about as much carry-through as you get. ——M.S.(10/1/2009)—— 84