Healthy dark red. Pungent yet classy scents of raspberry, white pepper, black olive and mocha. Supple, fairly silky wine with a savory quality to its flavors of dark fruits, gravel and olive tapenade. Finishes with serious tongue-dusting tannins, more salinity than sweet fruit and a distinctly chewy quality. But I find a slightly overripe/underripe character here and wanted a bit more fruit sweetness and verve.

This is the inaugural offering of this wine, with the fruit coming from the winery's Ancient Stone Vineyard in the Rocks District. Aromas of fresh and grilled asparagus are at the fore, followed by mortared herb, black pepper, ash, flower and olive. In keeping with the vintage, the flavors are lighter styled, showing a soft texture, trailing toward the finish.