2004 Finca Terrerazo - $52

Bodegas Mustiguillo is located approximately 200 miles west of Valencia in Spain’s Utiel-Requena DO. The bodega’s sustainably-farmed vineyards are situated on a plateau 2,000 feet above sea level and are planted mainly with the local varietal Bobal, and also with Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah, and Merlot, with vines up to 90 years old.

Bodegas Mustiguillo was created to showcase Bobal, a dark-skinned grape that grows mainly in southeast Spain and is notable for its good acidity and relatively low alcohol. Widely planted, it has traditionally been used in bulk wine production, though owner/winemaker Toni Sarrion is convinced that when cropped low and harvested later it can produce wines that rival some of the best in Spain.

At the winery, the grapes are hand sorted before fermenting in small French Oak barrels. After fermentation, the wine ages in new French Oak and new/used American Oak barrels for 19 months before bottling. The 2004 Finca Terrerazo is 70% Bobal, 20% Tempranillo, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

93 pts. Wine Spectator
This rich, modern red is brooding and dense, with black fruit, black coffee and mineral notes and muscular tannins. Not giving much now, but the concentration is impressive and the balance promising. Best after 2007.

90 pts. Wine Advocate
Inky-colored, it delivers scents of mineral, Asian spices, leather, espresso, black cherry, and blackberry. Medium to full-bodied, the wine has attractive black fruit flavors, and a firm structure but narrows out in the finish. It should provide enjoyable drinking over the next 8-10 years.