Medium purple color; cedar, spices, and black fruit aromas; good depth, 1-2 years to 2016.

Cassis, violet and dense dark fruits with spicy oak and tobacco aromas. Balanced, muscular style with powerful tannins and a fresh finish.

Dark and dense up front, with leathery, beefy aromas that suggest weight and size. The palate is indeed round and full, while the flavors are herbal and savory as you dig through blackberry and fig. Hefty, a little hot and a bit baked on the finish.——M.S.(9/1/2011)—— 87