From steep, hillside slopes, the 2006 El Puntido Gran Reserva is all Tempranillo that spent 28 months in new Bordeaux barrels. Chocolate, black cherries, dried herbs, and lead pencil/graphite all give way to a rich, chocolaty, medium to full-bodied Gran Reserva that has terrific depth of fruit, ripe tannin, and a beautiful sweetness of fruit. It has another 10-15 years or more of prime drinking.

The 2006 El Puntido Gran Reserva is pure Tempranillo grapes from the Puntido vineyard that are selected from the eastern-most part of the vineyard close to Laguardia, which is more exposed to the north winds and gives a wine of marked tannins that needs more time in barrel and is ideal to create a Gran Reserva. This wine ages for 24-26 months in barrel and is kept in bottle for a further five years. The 2006 is still dark ruby-colored, with an open and expressive nose of leather, cold bonfire, incense and steak tartar notes and a medium-bodied palate with some gritty tannins and very pure flavors where the leather and meaty notes linger in the aftertaste. This is the most classical wine I’ve ever seen from the Eguren family, and an exceptional effort for the 2006 vintage. Modernity meets tradition! Drink now-2022. - LG

This is Sierra Cantabria’s project in Páganos, a town near Laguardia, from a vineyard planted in 1975. It produced a meaty 2006, with the umami savor of roasted pigeon and wild mushrooms. Scents of roses and high-toned spice relieve that full-on tannic richness, integrating into the wine’s supple texture.

This burly Rioja opens with charred, burnt aromas of grilled beef, black coffee and lemon peel. Give it time to breathe and it becomes more fruity and friendly even as it shows grabby, hard tannins. Baked, brawny, herbal flavors of blackberry and toast finish spicy, with a coffee reprise. Drink through 2025. MICHAEL SCHACHNER

This rich red delivers a mouthful of black currant fruit, with strong notes of espresso, tar and mineral. Full-bodied, backed by muscular tannins and balsamic acidity. A modern style. Drink now through 2026. 500 cases made. — TM