The 2009 Seleccion de Familia is a Tempranillo and Syrah blend that feels oaky to start with. Reading the technical sheets, it turns out the wine carries out its malolactic fermentation in new French-oak barrels where it aged for 14 months. The wine is powerful and concentrated, full-bodied, and generous in tannins and alcohol. This is a big ripe wine that manged to keep its balance within its large size. Drink now-2016. Pago de Cirsus was created in 1997 by Inaki Nunez in Ablitas, a small village in the south of Navarra. The winery is surrounded by 135 hectares of vineyards, but Nunez sold the winery in 2014 to an investor from Venezuela – Alejandro Gomez Sigala. There is a wide range of well-crafted, modern wines produced here, with the signature of French winemaker Jean Marc Sauboua. Importer: Titan Wine and Spirits CO., Woodland Hills, CA; www.titanwineandspirits.com