1989 Vina Ardanza Reserva

There is a touch of Grenache in the 1989 Vina Ardanza Reserva. The wine's medium garnet color reveals an amber edge. A sweet, caramel, smoky, strawberry, tobacco, and tar-scented nose is followed by an elegant, round, medium-bodied wine with good richness, refreshing but soft acidity, and a heady, nicely nuanced, layered finish. Readers must recognize that this traditionally run firm tends to make wines that have spent considerable time in oak, and are much lighter-colored, more mature, and clearly ready to drink when released. The antithesis of modern-day fruit and oak-driven wines, they are all characterized by soft, tobacco, cedary, cigar-box-scented noses, with sweet fruit, and light garnet/ruby colors with amber edges. However, do not judge these offerings by their feeble colors, as they are very aromatic, and their flavors are nuanced and complex. Importer: A Christopher Cannan Selection, Europvin USA, Watertown, MA; tel. (617) 924-7620

Medium red. Maturing Burgundy aromas of plum, dried cherry, loam and milk chocolate, plus a whiff of coconut. Big, rich and sweet, with huge palate presence; flavors of plum, bitter chocolate and coconut are given clarity by ripe, integrated acidity. Lovely sweet finishing flavors stain the palate. Very impressive.