A blend of Cabernet, Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah, this wine is pleasantly sweet for drinking now. It’s all about raspberry and cherry fruit and spices. Would score higher if not for the sugary finish. ——S.H.(9/1/2011)—— 86

Quite a good wine. It’s luscious in creamy flavors of blackberries, cherries and toast, and also beautifully balanced. You feel the elegant interplay of oak, tannins and acidity. Should develop over the next 6–8 years.——S.H.(12/15/2009)—— 92

A distinguished wine, but a very young one whose tannins dominate. The flavors are myriad and complex, ranging from currants and cherries through anise and plum sauce to the smoky cedar of the oak barrels in which it was aged. Drink now, with decanting, and through 2012. Cabernet, Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah. ——S.H.(12/15/2008)—— 92