Bristling with firmness, this wine wakes you up with its perky black fruits on the nose and racy acidity. The palate, however, is drying out and fading. The tannins are well-proportioned and smartly sculpted, offering enough dryness to make this wine best-suited to the table. It tastes of cinnamon sticks floating in mulled wine and dark chocolate confections. Drinking well but just about at peak maturity, go ahead and pull the cork on this vintage now and through the end of the year.

— Published (5/19/2016)