Inky ruby. Intensely perfumed, sexy bouquet of dark berries, fresh flowers and smoky minerals. Tactile and deep, offering powerful blackberry and mulberry flavors, chewy tannins and very good back-end minerality. Picks up sweet mocha, bitter cherry skin and candied licorice on the long, sappy finish. This wine is showing a more serious personality than I've ever seen at this stage. Rated 91(+?). ‑ Josh Raynolds, Steven Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Issue 139, July/August 2008

A favorite among our discerning clientèle, but one that seems to fly rather under the radar (if only for lack of ready availability). From 60 year-old Garnacha vines planted in vineyards at the edge of native forests of small oak trees (known locally as chaparro) in the north of Navarra, itself just north of La Rioja in northern Spain. Vivid, bright ruby in color with aromas suggesting blackberry, raspberry, cracked pepper and an arid vineyard floor; seemingly medium light-bodied on entry, the wine expands on the tongue with gentle grip of light chalky tannins and bursting spicy berry flavor; ample, warm, expansive and flavorful to the considerable finish. For many among our discerning clientèle, especially those with a taste for the red wines of the southern Rhône and Burgundy, this wine represents uniquely superb value, too!

The nomenclature of "Vino de La Tierra" of Spain is roughly analagous to the "Vin de Pays" of France. Vino de la Tierra de Castilla is a large denominación located in central Spain and is noted for its hot, arid plains. But to say the region is just large is, at least, mild understatement - it is 600,000 hectares, that's 1.48 million acres, nearly 6% of the world's vineyards. So, there is a certain economy of scale at work here. Vino de la Tierra de Castilla is, for sure, a reliable source for some of the best value in good honest drinking wines. We've recommended Protocol Tinto for years now, specifically for its high quality at its low price. Aromas of dark spicy berries and dusty earth; smooth on entry, then gently expansive, with a nice grip of smooth, rounded tannins and warmth and flavor to spare. And, by all means, do take note of the price!

There are 8400 cases of the 2000 Gran Reserva Especial Castillo Ygay, a blend of 87% Tempranillo and 13% Mazuelo aged for 34 months in American oak barriques. Deep crimson-colored, it offers up an enticing perfume of cedar, pencil lead, earth notes, and black fruits. This leads to a supple-textured, layered wine with ample black cherry, spice, and blackberry flavors. The lengthy wine has excellent grip and enough structure to evolve for another 3-5 years. It should be at its peak from 2010 to 2022. Rated 90+. ‑ Jay Miller, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 176, April 2008

The 2004 Dalmau Reserva is sourced from a single 50+ year old plot within the 300 hectare Ygay estate. Made from a blend of 86% Tempranillo, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Graciano, the wine was aged for 21 months in new French barriques. Dark ruby/purple-colored, it reveals an aromatic array of toasty new oak, spice box, mineral, blueberry, and black currants. Considerably more powerful than its traditionally made siblings, on the palate if is full-bodied, firm, layered, and quite concentrated. The spicy flavors fall on the dark side of the spectrum with blackberry, plum, and black currant in the forefront. The wine has at least a decade of aging potential and will be at its peak from 2015 to 2030 although it can be enjoyed now with a charcoal-grilled ribeye. ‑ Jay Miller, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 176, April 2008