Soft and sugary sweet, with spicy black raspberry and chocolate flavors, this is a clean, simple wine to drink with barbecue.——S.H.(8/1/2011)—— 83

This very strongly flavored Cabernet isn’t showing much subtlety. It offers a blast of ripe blackberries and black currants, with notes of dark chocolate and sweet smoky notes from oak. High alcohol gives it a little heat in the finish. Drink now. ——S.H.(5/1/2011)—— 86

Lots of ripe, jammy blackberry, cherry and chocolate fruit and sweet smoky oak in this wine, but not much else in the way of structure. Ready now.——S.H.(2/1/2010)—— 83

The appellation is near the western, cooler part of Paso Robles, and the wine’s rich chocolate fudge and creamy cherry and cassis flavors have the requisite acidity and tannins needed to temper them. Almost sweet on the finish, the wine redeems itself with elegance. The high alcohol isn’t really a problem, in terms of balance. ——S.H.(12/15/2006)—— 88