A flamboyantly rich red wine, brimming with ripe cherry, blackberry, raspberry, red currant, cola, bacon, cocoa and licorice flavors. The tannins are soft and gentle but firm. The main problem is an excessive sharpness that seems artificial. Drink now. ——S.H.(12/15/2010)—— 85

This tastes like blackberry wine made with white sugar. The tannins and acids are fine, but that sweetness is unbalanced in a table wine.——S.H.(12/31/2007)—— 82

EOS’s reserve Petite kicks the regular ’03 up several notches in richness and overall impressiveness. The fruit is kick-butt, all blackberry jam, root beer, cola, cherry pie and gingerbread, but for all that, the wine is dry. It’s also soft in acids, and the tannins cry out for marbled beef. ——S.H.(5/1/2007)—— 88