The cooler and higher yielding vintage resulted in a 2013 Barbazul with the same blend as the 2012; 70% Syrah, 15% Merlot, 10% Tintilla de Rota and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was bottled at 15.2% alcohol and 3.1 grams of unfermented sugar, which is quite high for such problematic weather influences. The wine shows some vegetal aromas and a citric sensation on the medium-bodied palate, with quite a lot of acidity framing the light flavors and leaving it lacking mid-palate weight. 410,000 bottles.

The 2012 Barbazul is the high-volume wine here, with some 400,000 bottles produced in this vintage. It's a blend of mostly Syrah with 15% Merlot, 10% Tintilla de Rota and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from 13-year-old vineyards on albariza, clay and silica soils that is aged for six months in third-use barriques. I found the 2012 riper than the 2013, with some red and black fruit aromas, spices and a medium-bodied palate with tannins ending slightly dry.

The 2008 Barbazul is a blend Tintilla de Rota (a grape which has most of the DNA of Graciano), Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromas of earth, mineral, underbrush, mulberry, and blackberry lead to an elegant, racy wine with plenty of spicy flavor, lively acidity, and a medium-long finish. This excellent value is meant for drinking over the next 4 years. Importer: Steve Miles Selections, Denver, CO; tel. (303) 495-3811