2003 Pago de Valdoneje Vinedos Viejas. A well-balanced wine with blackberry, violet and sweet tar aromas. Intense fresh raspberry and blueberry flavors, with dark fruit in the finish. Available at Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, www.winex.com. About $20.
2004 Descendientes de J. Palacios Villa Corullon. A blend of grapes from several J. Palacios vineyards including La Faraona, this wine is highly concentrated but also has a silky elegance. Appealing new-leather and herbal aromas; ripe berry flavors. Available at Wine Exchange; Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463, hitimewine.net; and Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, winehouse.com. About $40.
2005 Descendientes de J. Palacios, Petalos. Leather, forest-floor and herbal aromas give way to black currant and blackberry flavors. Likable, with a nice, lingering finish. Available at Wine Exchange and at Mission Wines in South Pasadena, (626) 403-9463, missionwines.com. About $20.
2005 Luna Beberide. An intense wine, earthy, with deep minerality and smooth tannins. Red-cherry flavors with a note of tar. Its lively acidity is more noticeable as it opens up. Available at Wine Exchange and at K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, klwines.com. About $11.
2005 Cuatro Pasos. With aromas of berry and dusty blueberry and flavors of black cherry, this wine is reminiscent of a dry Lambrusco. Available at Wine Exchange, K&L Wine Merchants and Wine House. About $10.
2004 Dominio de Tares, Exaltos. A peculiar wine that evokes varied responses, with one panelist liking the earthy character balanced by a lively acidity and another panelist finding the flavors metallic and unpleasant. Available at K&L Wine Merchants. About $20.
2004 Dominio de Tares, Baltos. Thin and tannic with traces of blackberry and leather flavors; concentrated but flat. Available at K&L Wine Merchants. About $14.
2003 Peique, Vinedos Viejos. A sharp, metallic character indicative of brettanomyces overwhelms the subtle black fruit flavors. Available at Wine Exchange and at K&L Wine Merchants. About $26.
-- Corie Brown
