Estimate
Well-marked by toasty oak, this red's black cherry and plum flavors are buried today, but should shine through in time. Broad-shouldered and dense, with dusty tannins.
On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and enveloping, its succulent core of fruit framed by melting tannins. From barrel, I faulted this wine for being excessively open-knit, but while it certainly is unusually supple and giving by the standards of this cuvée, there's more depth than I perceived last year: what's more, and critically, this is simply immensely pleasurable to drink.
The masculine palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin and quite firm in the mouth...
The solidly concentrated and generously proportioned medium-bodied flavors brim with sappy dry extract that also buffers the moderately firm tannins on the powerful and grippy finish that exudes a hint of bitter chocolate...