This wine appears to be as dark and invincible as a black hole. Its nose is fiercely mineral, with zippy mint top notes. Replete with crunchy black fruits like blackberries and currants, this is a bewitching and highly defined wine. With air, the wine shows aromas of smoked meat and muddled cherries. The tension on the palate has just the right amount of tug-of-war between buoyant acidity and choppy tannins the two may be what cuts the finish short, along with the fact the wine’s fruit is drying out. Showing well now, and to be enjoyed soon, a younger vintage could have broader appeal.

— Published (5/19/2016)