Viña Jaraba, Vino de Pago DOP Jaraba (La Mancha, Spain) 2020

 Silky and marvelously graceful for all the flavor and pleasure that it delivers, this is an obviously well-made wine sourced from skillfully grown fruit.  Nearly full-bodied but very soft in texture, this is what — for most consumers and especially restaurant guests — Merlot was supposed to be but never quite was, and what Malbec was for a while before it wore out its welcome with many tasters.  A blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot, this shows both red and black fruit tones, but leans more toward black fruit.  It is serious without being stern, as wonderfully fine tannins and reserved oak make this extremely inviting already, though it can stand up to formidable foods and become much more complex as tertiary notes build in over the next decade.