PASO ROBLES | CALIFORNIA | $60
Mellow red plum, blackberry and currant fruit with notes of bay, cardamom, cedar, tobacco and earth. Slightly smoky with a chalky minerality. Finishes with mouth-drying tannins. Well aged at tasting. Each taste reveals a meandering story of aged fruit, spice and soil — a lengthy narrative with intimacy and depth. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot. A very good wine. (Reviewed 1/1/11)