40% Cabernet Sauvignon; 30% Merlot; 20% Cabernet Franc; 10% Petit Verdot. Sweet oak takes control in the nose here and continues as a principal player all the way across the palate. It is backed up by comparatively quiet fruit, and, while that fruit does not fade at the finish, it is surpassed by tooth-picky tannins that make cellaring a bit of a gamble.

Good ruby-red. Liqueur-like blackberry, bitter chocolate and mocha aromas are complemented by sexy oak. Supple, sweet and tactile, but with fruit currently overshadowed by notes of truffle and earth. A chewy wine with good stuffing, but the broad, toothdusting tannins call for several years of bottle aging.

Community Tasting Notes (average 88.3 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 7 notes)

This wine seemed more impressive from cask than it is from bottle, as the oak seems to overwhelm much of its personality, and the wine’s austere, astringent tannins are cause for concern. It is concentrated and dark ruby purple, but the oak and tannin excesses seem to suggest an uncertain future. In any event, patience is most definitely required. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028. RP