2000 Señorio de P. Peciña Crianza Rioja (1.5L)

The 2000 Pecina Crianza is 95% Tempranillo with the balance Graciano and Garnacha from organically farmed estate fruit. It was aged for 24 months in seasoned American oak before being bottled unfiltered (as are all of these wines). Dark ruby-colored with a brick rim, it exhibits a nose of cedar, earth, mushroom, tobacco, and blackberry. This leads to a stylish, elegant wine with good concentration and depth that should drink well for another 6 years. It is an excellent value in traditional Rioja. (2/2008)

Light red. Explosive, perfumed nose offers a range of coconut-accented red berry aromas complicated by fresh and dried flowers, vanilla and cured tobacco. Sweet red fruit flavors are supple and expansive, with a distinctly old school character. Fine-grained tannins add structure to the long, silky finish. This is ready to drink and quite delicious. (8/2007)

From one of our favorite Rioja producers, comes this terrific magnum bottling from the very good 2000 vintage. It is drinking just about perfectly right now, with terrific purity of fruit combining with some subtle sweet earthy savor, with tannins that present themselves on the finish but are clearly becoming smoother. Though it's drinking great now and would make a wonderful choice for entertaining, it still has at least another five years of interesting development ahead of it. Here is a textbook example of how a great Crianza ages better than even some Gran Reserva level wines.