A soft, fleshy, smoky style, with tobacco, mulled plum and toast notes and a medium-weight finish. A crowd-pleasing style that shows good range. Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Viognier. Drink now. 5,000 cases imported.??–JM??Region: South Africa / Western Cape Select to Add

(a blend of 69% syrah, 12% grenache, 10% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cinsault and 2% viognier): Bright, dark ruby-red. Sexy, precise aromas of black raspberry, violet, licorice, woodsmoke and spicecake. Silky on entry, then bright and savory in the middle, with very good intensity to the dark berry flavors. Seems more serious than previous vintages. Today the wine's suave tannins cover the fruit on the brisk but seamless finish. I'd cellar this impressively long blend for at least a couple of years.

This Syrah-dominant blend with 12% Grenache, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cinsault and 2% Viognier offers a delicious, fruit-driven core matched with complex spice notes of sweet smoke, cured meat and fresh tobacco leaf. The mouth is silky and smooth with fine-grain tannins and a white pepper-flecked finish. Drink now–2012. ——L.B.