2007 Finca Sandoval Manchuela

A noticeable step up and a blend of 76% Syrah, 13% Monastrell, and 11% Bobal, aged all in French oak, the 2007 Finca Sandoval Manchuela is a deep, serious wine, delivering meaty black cherry and cassis like fruits intermixed with cedar, lavender, minerals and background wood aromas on the nose. Very smooth and suave, with a polished, balanced style, full body, solid mid-palate concentration, and a long, silky finish, this superb wine should drink well for a decade or longer. This needs an hour decant to really show well and continues to improve in the glass. I’m a fan of the structure and depth here, and would love to seem more serious examples like this coming from Spain.

The deep crimson-colored 2007 Finca Sandoval is made up of 79% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre, and 8% Bobal made entirely from estate-grown fruit. The wine was aged for 11 months in new and seasoned French and American oak. It offers up a brooding bouquet of underbrush, mineral, spice box, blueberry, and blackberry. Packed and impeccably balanced, this savory, layered effort is surprisingly forward for its size. It can be approached now but will be better with 2-3 years of additional cellaring. Finca Sandoval is the Manchuela estate of distinguished journalist Victor de la Serna. Some readers may know of Senor de la Serna through his contributions to the Parker Bulletin Board where he often sets the record straight on Spanish wines. Importer: Jorge Ordonez, Fine Estates from Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (781) 461-5767

(76% syrah, 13% monastrell and 11% bobal) Glass-staining purple. Suave, finely focused aromas of dark berries, Asian spices, anise and smoky minerals, with a sexy mocha undertone. Juicy and nicely balanced, with sweet blackberry and blueberry flavors, gentle spiciness and tangy minerality. The mineral quality helps to extend the sweet, sappy finish. There's an understated, precise quality to this wine that's extremely attractive.