<p>&ldquo;Ripe and rich cassis fruit dominates the nose [of this wine], with hints of toast and crushed autumn leaves. On the palate it is a full-bodied, densely textured wine with luscious, solid tannins,&rdquo; Shaun Richardson, winemaker.</p><p><strong>Winery Notes:</strong></p><p>Jan Shrem purchased a 50-acre Calistoga vineyard in 1983 after studying enology in Bordeaux and living for many years in Japan. An additional 400 acres were later added to the estate, primarily in Carneros.</p><p>The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art sponsored a contest to build a temple at the base of a knoll on Shrem&#39;s property and the structure was created, complete with aging caves underneath, by Michael Graves. The winery is named for Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology, who was believed to have given birth to wine and art when his hooves unleashed the sacred spring of the muses.</p>

Far richer and fuller in style than it cellarmate, the Clos Pegase Hommage bottling is at once very ripe, long on extract and fit with a wealth of rich oak and woody, vaguely leathery spice. Its principal theme is one of deep, curranty fruit, however, and, if giving lots of play to youthful tannins just now, it has the fruity strength to carry it for the five to eight years of aging that it so clearly needs.

Community Tasting Notes (average 94.5 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 3 notes)

Rating for United States-California: 91 (slightly better than average year)<br/><br/>Drinkability: drink now<br/>