Vina Sutil’s 2008 Acrux is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah, 12% Carmenere, with the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc aged for 18 months in French and American oak. It offers up an already complex bouquet of toasty oak, exotic spices, incense, floral notes, and assorted black fruits. Full-bodied on the palate with dense fruit, succulent flavors, and a firm structure, this big-scaled but nicely proportioned effort will benefit from another 3-4 years of cellaring and offer prime drinking from 2015 to 2023. Importer: Craveiro Importers, Denver, CO; tel. (303) 295-1357

Classy tobacco, fruit cake, raspberry nose. Silky tannin balances juicy plum fruit. Tightly woven. Layered and lingering.