Quite saucy and spicy upon first blush, with a heavy bouquet. Here’s a wine that holds nothing back; it is compact, tight and hard on the palate, but it tastes meaty, big and generous, with plum and chocolate flavors. Finishes with heat, rusticity and peppery power. A brawny wine that shoots high but doesn’t hit every target.——M.S.(5/1/2009)—— 87