The oak jumps out - think char, vanilla and new barrels. But this magnificent wine is much more than that. It’s intensely ripe with cassis, pure and focused. It has sweet tannins and fine, good acidity and perfect balance. Superb right out of the bottle, but should hold through the decade.

Good full medium ruby. High-pitched aromas of violet, mint and bitter chocolate, with a hint of eucalyptus. Fat and sweet on entry, then quite lively in the middle, with distinctly rocky flavors of blackberry, shoe polish and black licorice, plus a whiff of fennel. From vines planted in 1992 on a southeast-facing knoll rich in boulders and shale; the fruit used to be sold to Duckhorn. Strong on personality. (ST)

Remarkably complex, dark, dense and concentrated, with layers of currant, blackberry, mocha, cedar and spice. This wine delivers pure, rich flavors; rugged, firm, rich and earthy tannins give it character. (JL)