The 2008 The Will blossoms beautifully in the glass with layers of super-ripe dark fruit, flowers and licorice. Silky tannins frame the fruit nicely on the polished finish. This is a pliant, energetic wine loaded with personality. The Will is 37% Petite Syrah, 35% Grenache and 28% Zinfandel, fermented separately, but aged together right after pressing. The wine spent 21 months in 123-gallon barrels before it was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2018. Neil Collins is best known for the wines he makes at Tablas Creek. The wines, from Collins’s own label, are full of personality.Tel. (805) 238-0845; www.lonemadrone.com

Lone Madrone’s most serious red, the 2007 The Will, is composed of 41% Grenache, 40% Petite Sirah, and 19% Zinfandel. Its dense purple color is followed by sweet scents of blueberries, black currants, cherries, smoke, and spice. Youthful, exuberant, spicy, and tannic, this wine requires 1-2 years of cellaring, but should age effortlessly for a decade or more. This is the personal project of Tablas Creek’s longtime winemaker Neil Collins and his sister Jackie Meisinger. His wines share with Tablas Creek exceptional value as well as flexibility with various cuisines. All are screw cap-finished except for The Will.Tel. (805) 238-0845

Simple and jammy, with tannicly hard flavors of blackberries and cola. Ready now.——S.H.(10/1/2009)—— 83