Very earthy and quite powerfully oaked, this wine is not subtle. It is big and spicy and needs to be paired with food, as it is a bit too much on its own.

Medium ruby with a slight purple hue. Immediately after pouring the aromas were dominated by tar, smoke, bacon fat, and espresso. After a few minutes, these seemed to tone down enough for a more balanced nose, with dried cherry, blackberry, fig, prune, black olive, almond, menthol, tobacco, dried herbs, and some saline minerality coming through. The fruit is pleasantly forward on the soft, medium-full palate, and is complemented by more smoky/meaty tones, along with cocoa, licorice, cedar, and sweet black olive. Moderate acidity, medium-high but soft tannins. Good length.