The 2005 Val de los Frailes Prestigio comes from the 8-hectare Pago de Vinas Viejas vineyard and sees 14 months in French and American oak. It has a compressed nose of blackberry jam, cassis and blueberry that is rather sultry at the moment. The palate is better, with grippy tannins and dense, dry black fruit, but it falls away very sharply on the dry finish. I cannot help but feel that this would have been better a couple of years ago. Drink now. Located in the sub-region of Cubillas de Santa Marta, Bodegas Valdelofrailes is part of Grupo Mattarromera run by the Carlos Moro family (see Bodegas Emina in last issue’s Ribera del Duero report). Established in 1999, they presently farm around 78 hectares of vine in Cubillas de Santa Marta and Valoria la Buena that includes some century-old plantings. I visited their facility, a functional rather than aesthetically pleasing winery equipped with modern machinery and approximately 800 American and French oak barrels. Importer: Matarromera USA Inc. www.grupomatarromera.com

Cherry compote with well-integrated oak. High volatile acidity. Complex but let down by a slightly coarse finish.