Ripe and rich, with spicy, peppery overtones adding interest to the dense, almost Port-like blackberry, licorice and dried cherry flavors, finishing with polished tannins. Drink now through 2016. 883 cases made, 183 cases imported.??–HS??Region: Australia / Barossa Select to Add

This is a big, lush, lavishly oaked wine that nonetheless pulls it all together with balance and elegance. Inky black in color, it leads with a blast of toasty, mentholated oak on the nose, backed by waves of blueberries and mint. Then the flavors call to mind dark chocolate and coconut, accented by almonds and the recurring blueberries. It’s creamy-textured and finishes long, with supple tannins that deftly dry your palate; they’re almost unnoticeable yet still provide structure. Drink now–2012, maybe longer.——J.C.(12/15/2006)—— 94