Bodegas Comenge, Ribera del Duero (Castilla y León, Spain) 2018

 Although this wine can’t quite match the 2017 “Don Miguel Comenge” for sheer power, it is superior in both purity and regional typicity and easier to enjoy in the near term, even though it is a year younger.  Some cocoa and spice notes result from 24 months of oak aging, but the dark berry fruit outruns these in the finish, leaving a nicely balanced impression.  This will get notably more complex with time in bottle, but doesn’t really require cellaring.  Side note: This bodega makes an astonishing wine called “Jacobus” that undergoes extraordinarily long wood aging and a unique lees regimen, and I’d review it except that I could only find three retailers selling it anywhere in the world.  The 2014 vintage ($150) that I tasted was amazingly multi-dimensional and harmonious, with phenomenal breadth and depth of flavor and remarkably soft texture for a wine of very impressive concentration.  I scored it at 96, and if I hadn’t been out in the middle of nowhere with a press trip bus as my only means of escape, I’d have taken the bottle and run away at top speed.  For the “Familia Comenge” Reserva:  92 Points.