The 2007 Gran Sangre de Toro Reserva is made up of 60% Garnacha, 25% Carinena, and 15% Syrah aged for 12 months in 20% new oak. Cedar, Asian spices, incense, lavender, black cherry, and blueberry inform the nose of this racy, ripe, stylish red. It will evolve for 1-2 years and offer prime drinking from 2013 to 2019. There was a time, perhaps 35-40 years ago when I was just becoming interested in fine wine, that Torres and Spanish wine were synonymous in the USA. There was Vega Sicilia for the cognoscenti, and a few Riojas floating about for those past the beginner stage, but for most of us there was Torres and it usually delivered the goods at a nice price ($3 for Sangre de Toro). Currently Torres towers over all the table wine producers in Penedes making several million cases plus one million cases of brandy. The winery is a tourist destination with a first-class restaurant. For many years the Torres flagship was the Gran Coronas Black Label, subsequently renamed Mas La Plana. It is produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mas La Plana vineyard and aged for 18 months in new French oak. Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770

At 75% Garnacha and 25% Carinena, you get a solid, full-bodied wine with an extremely tight, spicy core of cherry fruit. The tannins are drying and full, and the oak is strong, especially in the finish. It’s a wine with a leafy, earthy character, not unlike Bordeaux. It should be a good ager if cellared properly. Best Buy.——M.S.(8/1/2000)—— 89

This fuller, more mature version of the classic Torres Sangre de Toro is a big-bodied wine, deep and rich in both color and texture. A blend of 75% Garnacha and 25% Carinena, it oozes ripeness and concentration, while always being soft, spicy and layered with sweet wood.——R.V.(11/1/1999)—— 90