Viñedos de Sonsierra, Rioja (La Rioja, Spain) “Perfume de Sonsierra” 2016 ($61)

Sold in what a heavy, darkly opaque, square-cornered bottle that looks like what perfume might be sold in if it were sold in 750ml bottles, this seems like a marketing gimmick—until one tastes the wine. Still very dark and dense in color at nine years of age, without any brickish hue around the rim, this is obviously quite serious juice. Made entirely from Tempranillo sourced from four Rioja Alta vineyard sites with 80-year-old vines and then aged in 100% new French oak, this is a powerful wine that remains years away from its apex of maturity. The fruit recalls the blackest of black cherries as well as blackberries, with some spicy wood notes and undertones recalling both fresh and cured meat. I’m a wine reviewer rather than a packaging critic, I’ll withhold judgment on whether the bottle is cool or weird. A bit of research indicates that it was designed by the late designer and actor David Delfin and the fashion house of Davidelfin. The wine is impressive, and I’m frankly surprised that the asking price isn’t higher.
94 Michael Franz