Bright red-ruby. Aromas of black fruits, licorice pastille, bitter chocolate and violet. At once juicy and powerful, with ripe acidity giving sharp definition and thrust to the dark berry, violet and coffee flavors. Finishes very long and firmly tannic. The wine’s Cabernet Sauvignon component fermented on its skins for 30 days with native yeasts, but the petit verdot may also have contributed to the wine’s tannic clout. This will need a minimum of six or seven years of additional bottle aging. (14.9% alcohol; 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 15% petit verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec; aged for 22 months in 75% new French oak; made by Augustin Huneeus Sr. and Philippe Melka)

Gritty in texture, with a savory edge to the raspberry and floral flavors on a narrow frame, expanding a bit as the finish lingers. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Best after 2015. 1,716 cases made. (HS) Web 2014