Bodegas Los Astrales, Ribera del Duero (Castilla y León, Spain) 2014

 The 2014 release of Astrales is a terrific success and a great example of the wonderful character that can be conjured from Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero.  Dark and dense and deeply flavored, with lavish accents of toast, spices and smoke from oak aging, this has plenty of power to please lovers of big, rich wine.  Yet it also displays considerable finesse, with very pure fruit flavors (dark cherry predominating) that ultimately outrun the wood notes, lending an overall sense of freshness and grace to the wine.  As a result, you could pair this successfully with anything from a charcoal grilled steak to less assertive dishes like roasted pork or duck.  it will benefit considerably from decanting, but take care not to let anyone else taste it after you pull the cork…or it will never last until dinner is actually served.