Bright, full ruby. Brooding aromas of cassis, black cherry, minerals, bitter chocolate, shoe polish and violet; more Pauillac than Saint-Julien on the nose. Then rich, lush and powerful, with impressive fullness and volume. As full and sweet as this is, there's no impression of excess weight and the back end shows a distinctly austere quality, even if the serious tannins are nicely buffered by the wine's rich middle. Really stains the palate with flavor on the aftertaste. Wonderfully ripe caberne...

Rating: 95-100 - As reviewed by Wine Spectator on 4/07

Rating: 93-95+ - As reviewed by Wine Advocate on 5/07

two 1500 ml bottles