Montecillo Gran Reserva

[newsguy]

thought i had posted this here, but apparently did not. this is my tasting note, originally posted on another forum, from an offline in Dec. 2006. this was one of the bottles i brought, and ended up being a few folks' WOTN.

98 Bodegas Montecillo Gran Reserva: Very obviously different from the previous bottle (95 vintage of the same bottling), which was reddish in color going slightly orange at the rim. This wine was much darker in color, with a much bigger nose that screamed of French oak. Bigger fruit (red & dark), plus a touch of black pepper, with perfect balance (good acidity, soft tannin) and a long, expanding finish. Great concentration. Will probably improve for a few more years, then hold for a decade, but why wait? I will buy more and drink up over the 2-3 years. 92+ points.