The 2007 Coleccion Mazuelo (aka Carinena) spent 16 months in barrel. It is a glass-coating opaque purple with aromas of underbrush, brier, cigar box, and plum. Racy on the palate with elevated acidity, this is a vibrant, harmonious offering that will evolve for 3-4 years and drink well through 2022. Bodega Dinastia Vivanco is a must visit for wine tourists. The winery is designed to be accessible to visitors but the principal attraction is the finest wine museum I have ever seen. Called Museo de la Cultura del Vino, it is beautifully designed and filled to the brim with artifacts from all aspects of wine from farming to drinking. As for the wines, Dinastia Vivanco has been flying under the radar screen. Their previous American importer did little to promote the wines; I had never heard of the Bodega before this visit. However, they now have a national importer who figures to do a much better job. Dinastia Vivanco’s entry level wines offer good value. Importer: Opici Wines , www.opiciwines.com

Mazuelo is almost always a blending grape for a reason: it’s limited in depth and weighty. So it’s no surprise that this opens with leather, prune and bullish jam and liqueur aromas. The palate, however, is kind of sharp and lacking depth, while the flavor profile is juicy, herbal and folds in cassis and berry. Snappy and acidic for an expensive varietal wine.——M.S.(11/1/2010)—— 88