Cuné’s 1966 Viña Real Rioja Reserva Especial is a very lovely wine, but it is not quite in the league with the beautiful wines made under this label in 1968 and 1964. Ironically, for a wine that is nearly fifty years old, it still seems slightly constricted on the palate by its structural elements, which takes a way a bit of the velvety palate impression that makes the two flanking vintages of this bottling so superb. The bouquet on the ’66 is excellent, wafting from the glass in a mix of red and black cherries, cloves, a fine base of soil tones, nutskins and a nice touch of grilled meat. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, long and tangy, with a fine core, moderate tannins and fine length and grip on the focused and complex finish. It is possible that the serious acids of the ’66 vintage will never really give up their grip on this wine, but it may also be that another decade’s worth of aging will produce a wine that is even more generous and expansive on the palate. Certainly, the 1966 Viña Real Reserva Especial is in no danger of decline!