Less impressive than I remember from barrel (and one of the few 2009s that moved in a negative direction), this wine, a blend of 70% Merlot and the rest split between the two Cabernets, has Michel Rolland as a consultant. The wine is straightforward, with pleasant but somewhat superficial red currant and cherry notes intermixed with some herbs and underbrush. Medium-bodied, round and easy to drink, it should be consumed in the first decade of its life.

A hint of incense weaves through lightly mulled red currant and black cherry fruit. A nice whiff of mocha lingers through the toasty finish. Drink now through 2013. 3,084 cases made. -JM