The 2005 El Castro de Valtuille offers some toasty oak notes, plum, violets, and black cherry in its expressive perfume. This leads to a medium-bodied, sweet, intensely flavored wine with flavors of spice box, cherry, and cranberry. Long and pure, it will provide pleasure over the next 4-6 years. Importer: Bryce McNamee, Boutique Wine Collection, Philadelphia, PA; www.boutiquewines.info

Opaque purple. Peppery, mineral-dominated bouquet of fresh strawberry, raspberry and blood orange, with cracked pepper and graphite notes gaining strength with aeration. Racy, sharply focused red fruit flavors offer intensity without weight, picking up chewy tannins on the back end. Strikingly pure, but shuts down a bit on the finish. I suspect this will reward cellaring.