The entry-level 2009 Pruno is predominantly Tempranillo with dollops of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot aged for 12 months in seasoned French oak. Opaque purple in color, it offers up a brooding bouquet of earthy minerality, Asian spices, incense, and assorted black fruits. Velvety-textured, sweetly-fruited, layered, relatively forward, and lengthy, this seamless effort admirably reveals the strengths of the great 2009 vintage and is a superb value to boot. Drink it over the next 5-6 years. Finca Villacreces has a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest producers in the DO of Ribera del Duero. Importer: Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC; Tel. (704) 358-1565