For a winery that has fallen on tough times, this is a poignant reminder of how good so many of the Burgess wines were in the seventies and early to mid-eighties. Medium dark ruby color is followed by an attractive, earthy, smoky nose with plenty of cassis fruit intermingled with scents of underbrush and earth. Although backward, the wine is well-balanced, with good ripeness, medium to full body, well-integrated acidity, and light tannin in the spicy, moderately well-endowed finish. This fully mature Cabernet should continue to drink well for 5-7 years. For me, this was the finest showing yet of this Cabernet. The tasting notes for this section are from two single blind tastings, one conducted in May, 1996, in California, and the other in June, 1996, in Baltimore.