The 2004 Lealtanza Crianza was sourced from 30 year old vines and aged for 12 months in French and American oak. Dark ruby-colored, it offers a complex bouquet of cedar, tobacco, blackberry, and black cherry. Smooth-textured, ripe, and sweetly-fruited, this nicely balanced wine has excellent depth and length. Drink it over the next 5-7 years. Bodegas Altanza has 120 hectares of Tempranillo planted around Fuenmayor in the center of Rioja Alta. All of their wines are 100% Tempranillo fermented with native yeasts. Importer: F.L. Navarro, Quality Wines of Spain, New York, NY; tel. (212) 842-8181

Coffee and tobacco notes frame black cherry and light earth flavors in this firm, slightly rustic red. The assertive tannins need time to soften. Best after 2008. 250 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Rioja Select to Add