What a good job Ventana has done in Monterey with improving the ripe fruitiness of red Bordeaux varieties. You’ll find cherry-berry flavors here, with spice and coffee nuances that make for a complex drink. It’s a bit sharp in acidity. ——S.H.(9/1/2004)—— 87

Polished tannins and bright acids give it good mouthfeel, and there are some nice flavors of blackberries with overt oaky influences. But there is also some less-than-ripe fruit that shows up as herbs and asparagus. —S.H. ——S.H.(4/1/2003)—— 85