This wine’s deep-black core is starting to develop nuances of brick. Black fig, blackberry, sweet spice, mulch and leather create a complex nose. Generous in body, it’s well constrained by its fine-grained, sand paper-like tannins and buoyant acidity. Contesting to its advancement for its age, the palate is almost entirely tertiary in flavor. This focused wine is nearing its peak—enjoy before 2017 to avoid missing its remaining drinking window.

— Published (6/16/2014)