Dark, hot in alcohol and very low in acids, with chocolate, blackberry and blueberry flavors, but at least it’s dry. Will be pleasant with a backyard barbecue.——S.H.(5/1/2005)—— 84

Smells like a ripe and juicy jamball, and that’s just what you get on the palate, too. Big berries burst from the bouquet, sweetened by some creamy oak. Ditto for the palate and the medium-long finish, where vanilla sweetens the fruit even more. Lacks richness in the midpalate, says one reviewer; another calls it at once one-dimensional but utterly quaffable, particularly for novices.——D.T.(3/1/2002)—— 84