Vega Sicilia Valbuena 1992

Garnet deepening to a brick-tinged rim, the color alone tells you where this wine has been. Redcurrant, tar, cedar and iron lead, with tobacco and a thread of mocha adding layers beneath. At first sip it's dry and somewhat austere, closer in spirit to a maturing St. Julien than anything obviously Spanish, but given air it opens into something altogether more giving: soft texture, sweetened fruit and a long finish laced with smoke and earth. A strong showing from a vintage that asked a lot of its producers.