This delivers a big serving of ripe and succulent cassis as well as blackberries in terms of aromas and flavors. It’s matched by spicy oak, which adds a soft, vanillin edge. The palate has a dense, plummy core with dark chocolate undertones, supported by long, sturdy tannins. Drink or hold.

Bright ruby-red. Aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, blueberry, licorice and menthol show a medicinal character and more obvious oak influence than the Red Mountain Cabernet. Plush, smooth and sweet, with glossy, almost Napa Valley-like dark berry flavors complicated by an herbal hint of pyrazines. Compared to the Red Mountain example, this wine shows a darker fruit character, a tighter grain and less in the way of easy sweetness, with the element of spicy oak adding another dimension. Finishes with serious broad tannins that bathe the palate on the long, linear aftertaste. More medicinal and locked up today than the Red Mountain version and in need of time, but has greater potential. 92+ (ST)