Richness, elegance, power and grace all come together in this remarkable wine, and, from its first layered scents of currants, cocoa, wildflowers and sandalwood spice, it leaves little doubt that something special is afoot. It is big and expressive but never less than perfectly balanced, and its exceptionally fine and long-lasting flavors show great range and depth. It will be around for years if properly cellared, but the temptations for drinking it in the next few years are considerable.

Moderately saturated ruby-red. High-pitched aromas of blueberry, licorice, chocolate, leather and smoky, cedary oak; slightly liqueur-like. Then supple and sweet in the mouth but a bit youthfully disjointed and not quite as fine-grained as the '04 version, which Corison notes was less affected by heat spikes. Finishes with firm, dusty tannins and notes of chocolate and leather.

Rating for United States-California: 92 (slightly better than average year)<br/><br/>Drinkability: unpredictable<br/>

one of my wife's favorite. for her birthday and mom's day!