This ambitious attempt falls just short of the mark. The expensive French oak is obvious in the wine’s toasty, nutty aromas of dried spices, but where’s the fruit? Modest apple flavors fail to round out the midpalate, leaving this wine with a hole in the middle. Woody notes surge on the finish. Not mevushal. Imported by Royal Wine Corporation. ——J.C.(4/1/2006)—— 82