Bodegas Alto Moncayo Grenache Campo de Borja Veraton 2006

The 2006 Alto Moncayo Veraton is the wineryandrsquo;s entry level and is 100% Garnacha sourced from vines ranging in age from 35 to 92 years. It was aged in new French and American oak for 17 months and bottled without filtration. It offers up a sensational aromatic array of pain grille, pencil lead, earth notes, wild black cherry, and black raspberry. Dense, layered, and full-flavored on the palate, this hedonistic effort is balanced enough to evolve for several years but can be enjoyed now. It is an awesome value.

Deep ruby with a bright rim. Impressively complex, seductive bouquet of dark berry preserves, tobacco, graphite and smoky Indian spices. Pliant black raspberry and candied cherry flavors are enlivened by zesty minerals and firmed by fine-grained tannins. An exotic floral pastille quality emerges with air and carries into the finish, which is strikingly sweet, lively and persistent. I canandrsquo;t believe that this wine bears the touch of the same guy who is partially responsible for inflicting Australiaandrsquo;s R wines on us.

The purple-colored 2006 Alto Moncayo was aged in new French and American oak for 17 months before bottling without filtration. It offers up a sexy concoction of toasty new oak, lavender, spice box, cassis, and black raspberry. Round, rich, and voluptuous on the palate, it delivers plenty of up-front pleasure but hides enough ripe tannin to evolve for a few years. It can be enjoyed now and over the next decade.

This plush, dense red shows coffee and spicy oak, with berry and wild plum fruit and accents of licorice and black pepper. The tannins are firm but well-integrated, and this finishes warm and spicy. Modern and alluring. Drink now through 2012.

Saturated ruby. Very spicy on the nose, which displays blackberry, blueberry, white pepper and cinnamon qualities. Sappy dark berry flavors combine intensity with depth, picking up candied licorice with air. Turns sweeter on the finish, which leaves an exotic floral note behind. This went through multiple changes in the glass and is utterly delicious now.