Appropriately black at the core, this wine relents with a tiny, cranberry-colored rim. Its nose is dominated by freshness and minerality along with a mix of berry fruits. The palate hints at oak-influenced notes of sweet spice, ganache and lavender. Round, elegant, engaging and gulpable, this full-bodied wine is a winner, especially given its seamless acidic support and finessed—if lightly grainy—tannins. Drink now through 2018.

— Published (6/16/2014)