The 2010 Olivares Dulce is produced from un-grafted, 50-year-old Monastrell harvested at the end of October and early November, with a slight over-ripeness of the grapes. The grapes go through a long maceration in cement vats, fermented partially and then fortified. It’s bottled 8-9 months after the harvest, but it doesn’t see any oak. 16% alcohol and 200 grams of residual sugar. It has the telltale Olivares Dulce nose of black olives, thyme and ripe tomatoes. Very intense and fresh, high-toned, with tension. The elegant, velvety palate is full-bodied, sweet and persistent, with a special freshness that makes it unique. It still shows a little bit of tannin that should get polished with a few more months in bottle. Experiment with cheeses rather than with sweet desserts. Very drinkable. 36,000 half-liter bottles produced. It would probably evolve and last for a very long time. This is the benchmark for the sweet red wines of the region. Drink 2014-2020. Bodegas Olivares was created in 1930 by the grandfather of the current owners. All their wines come from their vineyards in their Hoya de Santa Ana state in the northwest of the Jumilla appellation at 825 meters above sea level. The sandy soils with a high percentage of chalk have managed to avoid the attack of phyloxera, so today they own 110 hectares of un-grafted Monastrell averaging 45-years-old, and a further 165 hectares of Monastrell, Syrah, Garnacha and Merlot grafted onto American rootstocks. They have an annual average production of 800,000 bottles. Imported by The Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, CA tel. (800) 999-4342; www.rarewineco.com