A profound example of Ebenezer fruit and skilled winemaking, the 2017 Amon Ra Shiraz is full-bodied and velvety in texture, picking up more nuances the longer it sits in the glass. Floral and mint notes appear on the nose, along with a mix of raspberries, blackberries and baking spices. There's plenty of new oak, but it's been mostly absorbed into the wine, leaving a drink that's rich and sumptuous. And just when you think it's over, a bit of licorice appears on the long finish to add a pleasant finale.- JC

Glass-staining purple. Deeply pitched aromas of ripe dark berries, cherry-cola, licorice and violet are sharpened by a peppery nuance. Alluringly sweet and broad on the palate, offering lush black and blue fruit preserve, floral pastille, mocha and vanilla flavors that slowly firm up through the back half. Finishes on a smoky note, with superb persistence, youthfully chewy tannins and a lingering suggestion of blackberry preserves. -- Josh Raynolds

An iconic wine, reminding me of the halcyon era of Parker in the US when working as a sommelier in NY. A different era! I wondered, before tasting, if the wine had taken a turn toward freshness and poise. Sourced from low-yielding 50-130yo vines, the result boasts more reductive tension than in times of yore, following substantial time on lees amidst 16 months in 100% new hogsheads, largely French. The nose, all camphor, terrine, licorice all sorts, anise and soused plum, is currently enmeshed in a carapace of oak tannins. This said, time will unleash the fruit, allowing the whole to become far more than the sum of its nascent parts. Patience! Closure: Cork. 15% alcohol.