Layers of rich texture and a bold presence of ripe fruits. Notice the aromatics create a matrix of wild blackberry, licorice, and vanilla bean. The palate provides a strong backbone of plum, dark fruit, ripe tannin, and well-integrated French Oak.   This wine will drink now to 2020.

91 points, Connoisseurs' Guide (April 2006): “Although certainly charged with plenty of very direct and easy-to-access fruitiness as befits its relative youth, this solidly stuffed effort exhibits both real varietal complexity and a sense of winemaking polish that marks it as a serious wine. Its ample themes of well-ripened currants are infused with touches of chocolate, caramel and mildly briary spice, and its fix on fruit is sustained at the finish despite the presence of nominal tannins and tag end heat. Its balance and impressions of careful proportion predict drinkability with but modest age, and we recommend that it be cellared for four or five years."

This wine was recently featured in The California Wine Club's wine of the month club