Stark black at the core, this wine is tight on both the nose and the palate. Firm on the attack, it has nice acidic bite and lightly splintery, but not aggressive, tannins. The palate shows sloe, dried blackberry, fresh black fig, game and asphalt. While there is no obvious new oak, this isn’t a wine for the faint hearted. It definitely needs a meat-and-potatoes kind of meal. Drink now through 2017.

— Published (2/29/2016)