Glass-staining ruby. Ripe cherry and cassis on the nose, with hints of tar and woodsmoke emerging slowly. Broad and fleshy on entry, then tighter and chewier in the mid-palate, offering bitter cherry and dark berry flavors with complicating nuances of chewing tobacco and rose pastille. Fine-grained tannins build steadily on the long, focused finish, with the tobacco and floral notes echoing. (JR)