Olé Imports

SPANISH SELECTION BY OLE IMPORTS

1. Bodegas Vizcarra Ramos. 2001 Ribera del Duero ($24):
Rubyred. Superripe aromas of black raspberry, espresso, meat and roasted oak. A sweet, firm fruit bomb with flavors of crushed raspberry and leather. Large-scaled and uncomplicated. Finishes with big, dusty tannins that turned increasingly dry with aeration. (Unfortunately, this producer's more expensive special bottlings from this excellent vintage were overwhelmed by oak.) 86. Also tasted: 2001 Torralvo Ribera del Duero, 2001 Celia Ribera del Duero*. (Olé Imports, New Rochelle, NY).

2. Pazo San Mauro.

2003 Albariño Rías Baixas ($20):
Pink grapefruit and white pepper aromas are lifted by a floral element; precise for 2003. Dusty, intense and dry but nicely ripe, with flavors of pink grapefruit and stones. Boasts very good thrust for the vintage, finishing with a kick of extract and very good palate-dusting persistence. 89.

2001 San Amaro Rías Baixas ($43; albariño with a bit of loreiro): Canned peach on the fiase, with a smoky, saline quality that reminded me of sake. Musky and saline in the mouth, with a gingery sweetness of flavor. Rather easygoing wine that could use more verve and grip. 87. (Olé Imports, New Rochelle, NY)

3. Bodegas Naveran.

2001 Dama de Naveran Extra Brut Cava ($14): Pale color. Floral, fruit-driven aromas ofpeach, orange and apricot, with a suggestion of ginger candy. A slightly sweet, cleanly made fruit bomb of a sparkling wine, with modest complexity but good freshness and length. 86.

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Crianza Penedes ($11; 90% cabernet and 10% merlot): Red-ruby. Clean, fresh aromas of bitter cherry, redcurrant and tobacco leaf. Subtly sweet, juicy flavors of currant, black cherry, leather and tobacco; easily identifiable as cabemet. Finishes with dusty tannins and decent length. Nicely made wine for fue price, with decent volume in fue middle palate. 86. Also tasted: NV Brut Reserva Cava. (Olé Imports, New Rochelle, NY)