94 Points | International Wine Cellar , September/October 2005

($135; a 70/30 blend of cabernet sauvignon and old-vines monastrell; like the Clio, this is aged 26 months in new French and American barrels) Full ruby-red. Primary yet already highly aromatic nose of crushed cassis, black cherry, redcurrant and licorice, lifted by a floral nuance. Sweet, layered and silky, with a compelling perfume to its redcurrant and floral flavors. Offers an uncanny combination of depth of flavor and inner-mouth energy. Finishes extremely long, with noble tannins. This says 15.5% on the label, but it's actually 16%. Winemaking here is overseen by Australia's Chris Ringland. (Incidentally, I recently retasted the wonderfully sappy, dense 2002 Aquilon Campo de Borja in July, from Bodegas Alto Moncayo, another wine made with the assistance of Ringland. I rated this wine 94 points back in Issue 116, and it's every bit as spectacular today, offering extraordinary purity of black fruits and the potential for a slow and glorious evolution in bottle.) . (Fine Estates From Spain, Dedham, MA)

90 Points | Wine Spectator