This narrowly sidesteps the barnyard while keeping a complex earthiness at the core, with spice, dried currant, cedar, nutmeg and loamy tannins. Works as a Bordeaux-inspired blend. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2013.

Very ripe in the modern style, with masses of jammy blackberries, black currants and black cherries and uplifted, smoky notes of oak. The tannins are thick and astringent. One defect is a certain sharpness that lasts through the finish and makes the mouthfeel tart.