Jet black at the core, with a miniscule, purple-highlighted rim, this wine displays oodles of sweet baking spice and milk chocolate on the nose. The mouthfeel is curvy, with sweet-spot tannins coating and caressing the palate. Its generous but far from pronounced acidity carries the flavors of forest berries, licorice, game and hard-stemmed herbs into the medium-length finish. There’s a lot going for this wine, but it is hard to look past its slightly awkward rusticity that is being covered up with overt oak influences.

— Published (6/11/2015)