The 2004 Juan Gil is produced from 45-year-old Mourvedre vines and aged for 12 months in American and French oak. There are a lot of Spanish wines at this price point ($10 to $13) that are rated well by industry press, but in my opinion this is one of the better ones. Beautiful, inky purple in color, full bodied and velvet opulence with dark berry, licorice, notes of cedar, mint and forest floor. It is inky, juicy and concentrated — but also shows a hint of restraint.

A great food wine, but not because it needs food. I would rate this as one of the better values out of Jumilla — a fine example of why Spain continues to be hot.