($295) Deep ruby. Brooding, superripe, distinctly cabernet aromas of blackberry, cassis, violet and espresso. Sweet, densely packed and thick, with powerful flavors of crushed cassis and tobacco lifted by violet and licorice. Almost youthfully gritty today and in need of bottle aging to show its underlying shape. The huge tannins coat the front teeth and saturate the entire palate. Like a top Medoc wine on steroids.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

The 2006 Vecina has turned out even better than I expected last year. Graphite/lead pencil notes intermixed with hints of burning embers and charcoal, an opaque purple color, and sweet blackberry and roasted espresso notes are all present in this wine, which is masculine, muscular, tannic, but incredibly well-endowed and a potential candidate for 30 years of aging.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Rustic and chewy, with a rich, earthy core of dried currant, loamy earth, sage, tobacco and spice, firming on the finish, where the tannins are dry and extracted. Needs time.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio