The 2009 Cesar Principe offers a very refined bouquet with scents of dark cherries, fresh strawberry, a hint of marmalade and Clementine. It is well-defined and elegant. The palate is smooth and harmonious on the entry with very fine tannins. It is not a complicated Cigales red – but this is its strength. It focuses on freshness and elegance, with a silky smooth finish with just a hint of piquancy. This is one of the samples where I could imagine drinking a whole bottle to myself! Drink now-2017. Cesar Principe, named after Ignacio Principe’s father, is a pure Tempranillo from the estate’s own parcels close to the winery, and it is supplemented by approximately thirty growers. Most of the vines are between 60 and 100 years in age cultivated upon stony soils. It is usually aged in 80% French and 20% American oak, of which around 40 to 45% is new, for around 14 months. They believe that the wine is at its peak two or three years after release – a view I would agree with. To put it candidly, it offers too much pleasure in its youth to satisfy the curiosity of aging. Importer: Vinovi & Co. Ferndale, MI; www.vinovico.com