Richly colored at the core, this almost opaque wine has brick lacing throughout. Its nose shows pleasant development in the form of lit cigar, beef jerky, liquid smoke and black cherry pie. The round, mouthcoating palate is decadent but nicely balanced, with intriguing earthiness and savoriness. It drinks well now and has developed favorably to date, thanks to its moderately extracted and nicely concentrated depth. Beef Bourguignon is the perfect foil to this wintery wine.

— Published (1/11/2016)