“This is the kind of wine that you get 6 or 8 friends to go in together to buy,” said Jason Kallsen, “and then you enjoy it together. Not to intellectualize but just to experience.”

The wine in question was a 1968 Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Tinto from the justifiably renowned Rioja house R. Lopez de Heredia. And yes, such an old wine actually is available here and now, at Solo Vino, for $400 (thus the coalition buying strategem). It was the climax of a 12-wine tasting of Lopez de Heredia wines, which ranged from fabulous to supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, at Solera last week.

These folks have been making sublime juice for a long time, and they take a long time to make it, many years in barrel and a similar stretch in bottle before the wines are released. So a 1987 white (Vina Tondonia Blanco) and a 1995 rose (Vina Tondonia Rosado) tasted fresh and vibrant; not pups but not remotely tired , either.

My favorite “young” wine was the 1999 Vino Bosconia Reserva Tinto, a marvelously layered and structured blend of tempranillo (75 percent), garnacha, graciano and mazuelo. It’s a steal at $39.

Also delicious and complex were the 1981 Tondonia and Bosconia Gran Reservas ($113) and the 1976 Bosconia Gran Reserva Tinto ($150).

The 1968 Tondonia was otherworldly, every sip fascinatingly different and phenomenal paired with tapas ranging from chorizo to a cilantro-laced cheese. Indubitably one of the most interesting and profound wines I’ve ever tasted.

I feel almost guilty touting such pricey wines in these times, but for those who shop at any of these price points, the R. Lopez de Heredia wines provide tremendous value.

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