Altos de Luzón Jumilla 2004 Tasting Notes

Once the $12 wine was in the glass, I was not disappointed. The wine is nearly opaque, a deep and dense ruby with some purple at the edges. The key notes on both the nose and palate are blackberry jam, cassis, black licorice, leather, prune and black pepper. The extra bit of alcoholic heat on the nose quickly stepped aside. The palate in addition has a stimulating note of dried mushroom and smoky dried leaves. Tannins are soft but lasting, with a nice tannic echo on the finish. Oak is evident (from a year of aging in both French and American wood), but I could hardly imagine this wine without it.

My notes on the wine's aromatic and flavor elements are based on the two hour decanting period, but we consumed the bulk of the wine at the 24-hour point or later, and it was this mouthfeel that brought me to the reordering stage. The ripe softness of the wine was notable at two hours, but downright plush the next day. The bottom line on the Luzón is fruit that is juicy and yet subtle, well integrated with spice, tannin, acidity and oak elements, all orchestrated by an abiding and benevolent softness.