2004 Cillar de Silos Ribera del Duero

To my mind, you can never have too many supple, ripe Ribera del Dueros on hand, such as this one from Bodegas Cillar de Silos. This is Tempranillo at its most persuasive -- deep and ripe, tasting of blackberries and plums, with just enough spice, leather and sweet oak to keep things interesting. It’s a sweet bargain at this price.

Break out the butterflied leg of lamb or put your cast-iron casserole to work braising a lamb shank with white beans and sausages. Tempranillo also works wonders with duck and dishes from southwest France, including garbure -- a thick soup of cabbage, potato, beans and duck confit.

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Quick swirl

Region: Ribera del Duero

Price: About $25

Style: Supple and ripe

Food it goes with: Roasted leg of lamb, grilled rack of lamb, braised lamb shank, hearty stews and soups.

Where you find it: Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463, www.hitimewine.net; Mission Wines in South Pasadena, (626) 403-9463, www.missionwines.com; Vendome Liquors in Toluca Lake, (818) 766-9593, and Beverly Hills, (310) 276-9463; the Wine Club in Santa Ana, (714) 835-6485, www.thewineclub.com; and Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454 and (800) 769-4639, www.winex.com.

--S. Irene Virbila