The ripe Monastrell red 2020 Casa Benasal Crux has abundant tannins and feels generously oaked. It's a bit dusty and rustic. It matured in 3,000-liter oak foudres. 5,700 bottles produced.

They might have skipped some vintages, as I tasted the 2017 vintage of this wine, which is made with 90% Monastrell and 10% Garnacha Tintorera. The 2017 Casa Benasal Crux has some minty and balsamic notes intermixed with hints of tree bark and earth, spices and smoke. The palate is medium-bodied with some chalky tannins that call for food. It has less oak than in the past, but the oak is still dominating the nose and palate. 4,000 bottles were filled in February 2019 after 12 months in a new 3,000-liter oak foudre. Give it a bit of time.

Their top-of-the-range is the 2010 Casa Benasal Crux, again a blend of Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Syrah and Monastrell from their organically farmed vineyards, fermented with indigenous yeasts and raised in oak barrels for one year in contact with the lees with weekly battonage. Opaque and dark-colored with a nose of vanilla and cinnamon intermixed with ripe berries, smoky and earthy notes, something perfumed and a lactic note too, it's quite intense in the palate, but the dusty tannins are quite abundant and provide for some rusticity on a slightly bitter finish. This is an oaky red with a commercial profile. 8,000 bottles. Currently this wine is only exported to Germany.

The 2008 Casa Benasal Crux is made up of 40% Monastrell, 40% Garnacha Tintorera, and 20% Syrah aged in barrel for 12 months. Smoke, mineral, Asian spices, incense, black and blue fruits inform the nose of this rich, layered, plush, nicely proportioned offering. It has enough stuffing to blossom for another 1-2 years and will deliver pleasure through 2020+. Pago Casa Gran has been certified organic since 2008. Importer:Carlos Hubner-Arteta, Vinos Libres, New York, NY; Tel. (917) 282-6994