The 2005 Tempranillo (70%) – Graciano (30%) is Cascabel’s take on Rioja. Production is a tiny 90 cases from yields of 1 ton per acre. The wine was barrel-fermented and aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak. Dark ruby-colored, it offers a lovely perfume of toast, smoke, forest floor, spice box, cassis and blackberry. This is followed by a full-bodied, ripe wine with superior depth and concentration, spicy berry fruit, and a lengthy finish. Drink it over the next 6-8 years. Cascabel is a 5 hectare estate, 4 of which are planted to nine varieties. It is the project of Duncan Ferguson and Susana Fernandez, a native of Madrid. The goal is to put a Spanish face on McLaren Vale wines.Importer: Ken Onish and John Gorman, Southern Starz; tel. (714) 892-3030