(raised in new French oak casks of varying size for two years) Inky ruby. Highly expressive, smoke-accented cherry liqueur and blueberry aromas are complicated by building floral, vanilla and exotic spice nuances. Sappy, sweet and broad on the palate, offering densely packed black/blue fruit, mocha and floral pastille flavors that slowly become spicier and more lively as the wine opens up. Shows excellent clarity on the extremely long, oak-spiced finish, which is framed by fine-grained, even tannins. -- Josh Raynolds