Dark ruby red; spice box, violets, black currant; forward personality, ripe flavors, lengthy.Importer: Gia Cellars Imports, 45 Great Hill Rd, Naugatuck, CT 06770 f. 203-729-0105.

Attractive nose of blackberry and cassis. Simple and correct with very good concentration of cool fruit with a touch of bell pepper and firm, ashy tannins. Alc: 14%.

Smells foxy and broken up, with a slight stemminess. The palate is tannic and drawing, with generic black fruit flavors that are candied with brown sugar and molasses. Sweet, rough, tough and like 1,000 others. Will do best with food, which should absorb some of the tannic shock. ——M.S.(3/1/2011)—— 84