Writes the book on how to make a wine filled with gigantic jammy fruit that’s nonetheless dry, balanced and harmonious. The Cabernet contributes blackcurrants and structural tannins. The Syrah brings a peppery richness, while Merlot adds soft fruitiness. You can actually taste each varietal, yet the wine hangs together, dry and rich. Best Buy.
— S.H.
(6/1/2002)
Magnificently rich and decadent, a wine stuffed with complexity but one that manages balance and harmony. Name the fruit and it’s in there, from blackberry to orange rind. Dry, crisp and stylish, with soft but intricate tannins, this wine would cost two to three times as much in California.
— S.H.
(6/1/2002)
Dark, dark, dark purple. Big, rich, jammy and intense, filled with blackberry, blueberry and black cherry preserves and dark chocolate, but dry as dust. That sums up this muscular, heady wine. The tannins are soft, and it’s fun to drink and delicious.
— S.H.
(6/1/2002)
Rich, dark and plummy. Here’s a big wine in every respect that combines fully ripened fruit with dry tannins and crisp acidity to produce a wonderfully drinkable wine. Lacks the extra dimensions to qualify as great, but it’s a super mouthful, although it does require big rich foods.
— S.H.
(6/1/2002)