2006 - Malleolus Sanchomartin, Emilio Moro, Ribera del Duero

The 2006 Malleolus de Sanchomartin gives up a nose of chocolate/mocha, black cherry, and black raspberry. A bit lighter in the mouth than the preceding wines, it still is loaded with succulent fruit. Impeccably balanced and lengthy, it will benefit from another 6-8 years of cellaring and drink well through 2031. Malleolus de Sanchomartin is sourced from a vineyard planted in 1964 with cuttings grafted from the Valderramiro vineyard. Alcoholic fermentation is with indigenous yeasts with ML in barrel. The wine is then aged for 22 months in French oak. Importer: Please contact the winery to find your nearest importer. www.emiliomoro.com

(from a south-facing 0.7-hectare plot situated 2,500 feet above sea level) Opaque purple. Heady aromas of blackberry, cola, tobacco, potpourri, graphite and olive; reminds me of a great Hermitage. Deep, sweet dark berry and cola flavors are strongly accented by smoky mineral and floral notes, with a powerful snap of cracked pepper on the back. The minerality becomes more insistent with air and defines the long, sweet, sharply delineated finish. For all this wine's power there's a shockingly graceful quality that suggests it will reward cellaring.