Bodegas Nekeas's red wines were very promising, especially given the fact that these wines are priced low and made from young vines. If you are looking for even more richness, the 1995 Merlot is a better wine than the 1996, no doubt because 1995 was a far superior vintage for Navarra. It is an amazingly opulent, fat, chewy-textured wine bursting with smoky, jammy black cherry fruit. Pure and fleshy, with low acidity, it offers a lusty, exuberant mouthful of Merlot fruit that falls just short of being outstanding. The 1995 Merlot is one of the greatest wine bargains I have tasted this year. Importer: Jorge Ordonez, Fine Estates From Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (617) 461-5767

A polished wine of deep color, toasty oak and ripe plum flavors--hallmarks of the contemporary international style--but spicy undertones and well-balanced acidity keep it distinctive. Drinkable now, but should improve through 2000.??–TM??Region: Spain / Navarra Select to Add