02 Las Rocas de San Alejandro, Garnacha

Nuclear acidity and simple grapes up front. Volcanic spice. After an hour of decanting, sweet tannins envelop jammy pork fat and distinct white pepper. The body goes from thin and obtuse to lush and oozing with medium tannins just aggressive enough to clean up the bevy of grape and blackberry flavors. Aroma and flavor begin to shift toward peppered pork rind. Tannins grow chewy. An hour in the glass seems a year in the bottle to this wine, and I look forward to revisiting it in 2006.