Vivid ruby. Highly perfumed red and blue fruit and floral pastille aromas are sharpened by white pepper and smoky mineral nuances. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, offering intense boysenberry and raspberry preserve flavors that deepen with air. Nicely concentrated and sharply focused, showing nervy finishing bite and subtle tannins that add shape and grip to a very long, red fruit-driven finish. -- Josh Raynolds

There is enough reduction present to warrant giving the wine a thorough aeration. The richer and more powerful medium-bodied flavors possess good verve along with better depth and persistence on the relatively robust if slightly warm finale. This is more harmonious, and the supporting structure makes clear that this will need a few more years of bottle aging first.