The 2005 Tardencuba Valnuevo was aged for 16 months in new French oak. A glass-staining saturated purple, it offers up a classy bouquet of toasty new oak, pencil lead, cinnamon, lavender, and blackberry. This is followed by a full-bodied wine with outstanding density, rich flavors, plenty of spice notes, licorice, and ripe tannin. This balanced, lengthy effort will unfold for another 6-8 years and have a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2030. Both Tardencuba wines were sourced from dry-farmed ungrafted 70- to 100-year-old Tinta de Toto vines and fermented with native yeasts before bottling without fining or filtration. Importer: The Artisan Collection, New York, NY; tel. (212) 608-0072