Among the more concentrated and outgoing wines of the bunch, this rich and very well-ripened effort bows at least slightly in the direction of its California kin. While it has plenty of both, it is more than merely an exercise in ripeness and sweet oak, and it teases with touches of minerals, coffee and licorice. It sports very good volume in the mouth and runs into a fair bit of tannin as it closes, but it has all the right stuff in all the right places to make six to ten years of cellaring a ve...

Good saturated ruby. Roasted black fruits, bitter chocolate, licorice, coffee, meat and a leesy note on the nose. Lush on entry, then juicy and tight in the middle, with flavors of blackberry and bitter chocolate. Spreads out nicely on the aftertaste, with tannins arriving late. The cabernet sauvignon, which comprises 55% of the blend, was harvested very late. Somewhat inscrutable now, and not quite as sweet as the '01 version. One to follow.

Rating: (88-90) - As reviewed in Wine Advocate # 149 on Oct-03

Rating: 87/100 - As reviewed by Wine Spectator on 03/31/05