1 | Wine | Tempranillo, 2009 | Page 4

"It has a very sensual bouquet with dark cherries, creme de cassis and creamy new oak smeared on top - without compromising delineation. The palate is full-bodied and is certainly the most voluminous of the three single vineyard wines, with perhaps the best balance and freshness, seeming to handle that oak with style. The finish is beautifully poised with life-affirming freshness. Primal but persuasive, this should turn out to be a fantastic Rioja."

"A rich, opulent bouquet with kirsch, maraschino, shoe polish and licorice. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with saturated, corpulent tannins that caress the mouth. At its heart are layers of sumptuous ripe red cherry, fresh strawberry and vanillary new oak towards the rambunctious finish."

"The nose is very lifted with floral notes: crushed violets and rose petals sprinkled over cassis and dark plum fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and a gentle, insistent grip. It has a satin-like texture, bewitching harmony and a precise, languorous finish that exhibits spine-tingling minerality. Returning to the bottle hours after opening, it evolves ever-higher degrees of harmony and sumptuousness. It almost leaves you giggling stupidly at how good it is. It is expensive, but it is also cheaper than a First Growth."

"Opaque purple. A heady, complex bouquet evokes blackberry and blackcurrant liqueur, with suave oak spice and potpourri elements. Sweet, broad and pliant, the intense dark fruit flavors showing great power, richness and depth. Very young but flat-out seductive, finishing on a sweet, sappy note of candied dark fruits, with lush, harmonious tannins. I also had the chance to revisit this bodega's ultra-premium Malleolus de Sanchomartin and Malleolus de Valderramiro from the 2008 vintage (reviewed last year), and while both wines are years from maturity they show strikingly flamboyant character and make a serious impression right now. I suppose I'd feel some guilt pangs if I opened either of them now, but it would be guilt I could deal with after asking for mercy from the wine gods."

"Enticing aromas and flavors of rose petal, incense, and black cherry lead to a forward, succulent wine that opens in the glass to reveal a pleasure-bent offering that over-delivers in a big way. This crowd-pleaser will drink well for several more years."