Piercing on the nose, with toasty oak scents, mint and lemon along with standard blackberry and raspberry. Feels good and tight, with a structured composition and bright flavors of cherry, plum and toast. Turns chocolaty and a touch salty on the finish. A nice, stocky, lively wine.——M.S.(3/1/2012)—— 88

Quite dark and crusty on the nose, with aromas of road tar and obvious oak. Tough but real on the palate, with big tannins and lip-smacking berry and cherry flavors. Shows more oak character and resin than necessary, and thus the fruit flavors don’t fully stack up to such heavy wood. Still, it gets it right more than wrong.——M.S.(12/31/2008)—— 86