A whiff of neoprene reduction soon blows violet off to reveal a sinuous wine of equal parts flesh and hewn bone: violet aromas segue to smoked charcuterie notes and a melody of blue to dark fruit tones. Setting the pace, while corralling the wine's inherent generosity into shape, is well handled oak and savvy extraction techniques. The result is one of crowd-pleasing generosity on one hand; a visage of serious ageability on the other.

-James Halliday