1997 Mas La Plana

(cabernet sauvignon) Bright medium ruby. Cassis, licorice, pepper, iris and cedary oak on the nose. Dense but nicely delineated, with slightly herbal flavors of red berries and chocolate. Not hugely ripe but boasts flavor intensity and elegance, not to mention firm structure and very good persistence. A restrained, stylish wine with noteworthy aromatic complexity on the back end.