A little baked and flat smelling, with licorice and stewed fruit aromas. Sounds kind of dark and heavy, right? But the palate runs to the thin side, with lean but pure raspberry and cherry flavors. Vitality and snap are its virtues; not much depth or character are its fallbacks.——M.S.(4/1/2008)—— 86

Losing color and steam; the nose already is showing sherry, root beer and other oxidized notes of tobacco and caramel. Tastes of rooty fruit, earth and some citrus peel. Has seen better days. ——M.S.(11/1/2006)—— 83

Rusty in color, with aromas of caramel, marshmallow and earth. The palate is fading, with dried cherry, almond and oregano. Finishes thin, but with moderate complexity. In terms of mouthfeel, it’s tight and leathery, and a bit starchy. ——M.S.(3/1/2004)—— 84

A touch of brown at the edge and an plummy, woody nose open this middleweight contender. Nicely balanced, the mouthfeel is even, but the wood is overbearing on the palate and finish. The texture is right on, but the fruit fights for presence against the oak. —M.M.——M.M.(9/1/2002)—— 84