Sweet oak steps out ahead of the slightly withdrawn fruit in the dense and quietly chocolaty aromas of this weighty, well-ripened wine, and it picks up the themes of cherries and chocolate as it runs headlong to ripeness in the mouth. Its ample, very varietal tannins prevent it from becoming too soft in spite of its ripeness and should hold in good stead for some five to seven years of improvement in the bottle.

Community Tasting Notes (average 87.8 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 10 notes)

Rating for United States-California: 95 (slightly better than average year)<br/><br/>Drinkability: too young, let it sit<br/>

velvet bleu cheese bold

suggested by DEB