The idea of vintage dating is standard in the wine business, but considerably rare in the cigar industry. General Cigar uses a vintage dating system for its best Connecticut-shade wrappers. As in the world of vintage Port, only years deemed special result in a vintage. Since the 1970s, General has dubbed only six wrapper harvests as vintage. This 1997 version is the best current-production Macanudo we've smoked. Macanudos are produced under the care of Angel Daniel Núñez, who rose from the tobacco fields of General Cigar to run the company. He still believes in getting his boots dirty, and is actively involved in the blending of cigars and maintaining the stocks of leaf used to make such smokes as the Vintage No. III, which measures 5 9/16 by 43 ring.