2005 - Roda Roda I Reserva, Rioja

(50% new oak) Deep ruby. Sexy, high-pitched aromas of black raspberry, cherry-cola, Asian spices and sassafras, with slow-mounting minerality. Juicy, sharply focused red fruit flavors show an alluring sweetness and pick up notes of allspice and candied rose with air. Sweeter still on the finish, which is smooth, sappy and extremely long. This will be a beauty in a few years but it's actually very easy to drink now.

The purple-colored 2005 Roda I Reserva offers up aromas of toast, scorched earth, tobacco, incense, black cherry, and blackberry. More powerful and structured than the 2004, it still manages to be light on its feet, offering up plenty of succulent black fruit flavors, incipient complexity, and a 45-second finish. Drink it from 2015 to 2035. Bodegas Roda is a family-owned winery in Rioja that was founded in 1987. The winery was completed in 1991, and the first commercial vintage was 1992. Three tiers of wine have been produced, Roda, Roda I, and Cirsion, all from the estate’s 17 parcels of vines, each of which is vinified separately. No wine is made from vines less than 30 years of age. Roda I focuses on the dark fruit side of the spectrum, while Cirsion is a selection of the best vines within 4 of the 17 blocks. This luxury cuvee is produced only in good years; 2002 was not produced, and 2008 will be skipped over as well. Beginning with the 2008 vintage, Roda will be releasing an as yet to be named entry-level wine designed to be more forward and appealing to younger wine drinkers. A barrel sample was very pleasant and is likely to sell for under $20. In addition, Roda has begun a project in Ribera del Duero. I tasted barrel samples of 2008 and 2009 of this yet to be named wine, and they revealed plenty of promise. Importer: Kobrand, New York, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700