The 100% Tempranillo 2012 Crianza fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, and matured in a mixture of French and American oak barrels for one year. It shows more aromas of the aging and lees of the fruit. 2012 seems to have been a balanced vintage with good ripeness without excess. The palate is medium-bodied, with a combination of ripe berries and wood-derived flavors, ending slightly bitter. This is a mainstream Crianza. 80,000 bottles produced.

The 2011 Crianza is 100% Tempranillo from 30- to 37-year-old vineyards which fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in barrel for one year. It is quite balsamic, with notes of aromatic herbs and shoe polish intermixed with an assortment of red and black fruits. The palate is medium-bodied with abundant flavors of licorice, fine-grained tannins and some freshness, in a vegetal way. 83,000 bottles were produced. Drink now-2016. I hear about a generational replacement and a change of winemaker at La Legua, one of the classical names in Cigales. Are the winds of change blowing? We’ll see in the following years. No known American importer.

The 2010 La Legua Crianza is also pure Tempranillo that undergoes selection at the winery. Forty percent undergoes malolactic in American and French oak, and then it is aged for 15 months in a equal percentage of new, one- and two-year old oak. It has a delicate, perfumed bouquet that is beautifully defined: hints of dark cherry, red currant and violets that are infused with a touch of seashell. It is the kind of Cigales red you just want to drink rather than intellectualize over – beautifully crafted on the palate, the finish understated, but succinctly defined and pure. Drink now-2016. While I am accustomed to music being piped into barrel cellars to “calm” the wines during their maturation, my visit to Bodegas La Legua marked the first occasion where the music was “l(fā)ive.” One hopes that the guitarist, strumming away on his electric guitar on his portable amp, is allowed out for air once in a while. In the 1970s, Bodegas La Legua was the first winery in Cigales to plant red varieties only, and to this day they are one of the few to eschew rose. Proprietor and neurologist Emeterio Fernandez owns 80 hectares of vine around the winery, which is sub-divided into six-hectare parcels. The average age of vine is 35 years, and they produce around 250,000 bottles per year. For those that have never tasted Cigales wine before, La Legua offer a perfect, affordable introduction to its delights with a superb portfolio that I found beautifully crafted, natural and refined. Importer: Steve Berardi, Denver, CO; (303) 329-3180; and Berry Brother & Rudd (UK).

The 2007 Crianza, a blend of 96% Tempranillo and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, was partially barrel-fermented and was aged for 15 months in 33% new French and American oak. Dark ruby colored, aromatically it reveals more complexity than the Roble cuvee with aromas of cedar, mineral, tobacco, spice box, and black cherry. Firmer on the palate and with greater depth and volume, it will evolve for 1-2 years and provide optimal drinking from 2011 to 2019. Importer: Steven Berardi Selections, Denver, CO; tel. (303) 838-1963