91+ 2004 Pesquera Tinto (Ribera del Duero) 10/24/11 ($27)
Color: Deep black garnet. (3.0) Bouquet: Elegant cigarbox complements delicious blackberry and cassis fruit with nutmeg-like spice. (3.5) Body: Excellent acidity, fruit and tannins. Light Heavyweight. Smooth mouthfeel that coats. (3.0) Flavor: Not quite as giving as the bouquet, but excellent. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor with a slight acid/tannin edge. (3.0)
Overall: A Medoc-styled, Tempranillo-based Ribera del Duero that shows impressive fruit, elegance and integrated cigarbox oak. Drinks like a $50-$75 Medoc, but with a little more alcohol and ripeness. Drinking beautifully now, but could gain more elegance in the next couple of years. (15.5)