Wine Spectator: Firm and intense, with gripping tannins wrapped around dark berry, black licorice, graphite, cedar and tar. Slow to unfold but does so impressively, gaining strength, depth an...

Wine Spectator: Approaching perfection. Wonderful perfumed and floral aromas, with rich cassis, blackberry and wild berry fruit scents. On the palate those flavors are intense and vibrant, cr...

Wine Spectator: Starts out closed, but very intense and concentrated, with tight currant, spice, cedar, anise and blackberry flavors. Maintains a long, vibrant finish.--Non-blind Harlan retro...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Of all the extraordinary wines emanating from California in recent years, one of the most remarkable achievements must be the...

Wine Spectator: Well-made in an elegant style. Clean, pure and focused; a lovely red packed with spices (nutmeg, cinnamon), coffee and plum. Smooth tannins, refined finish. Firm backbone will...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Inky ruby. Pungent, exotically perfumed aromas of dark berry compote, Asian spices and garrigue, with bright minerality adding vivacity. Powerful and deeply concentrated but a...

Wine Spectator: Ripe and packed, but well-focused, with a broad beam of linzer torte and boysenberry fruit backed by graphite, violet and pastis notes. Picks up plenty of muscle and toasted s...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Inky purple. Heady, explosive aromas of black raspberry and blueberry preserves, garrigue and incense, with smoky mineral and anise accents. Lush and palate-coating, offerin...

About this Wine: 92.5% Merlot, 7.2% Cabernet Franc, 0.3% Malbec

Wine Enthusiast: The 2008 vintage presented challenges for Cabernet Sauvignon, but this Cabernet Franc-based blend succeeds wildly. It's bone dry, tannic and enormously complex, with flavors o...

About this Wine: "...From this impeccably run estate, Andre Brunel produces 7,000 cases of a traditionally made regular Chateauneuf du Pape, and, when possible, about 500 cases of Chateauneuf ...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Bright ruby. A drop-dead, room-filling bouquet evokes black raspberry liqueur, incense, anise and lavender, with smoke and herb overtones. Sappy and penetrating, offering de...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Opaque purple. Intensely perfumed scents of cherry-cola, blackberry liqueur and Asian spices, with an exotic floral overtone. Weighty but sharply focused black and blue frui...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: I have applauded recent efforts of this estate, which goes to unprecedented lengths as well as labor to produce the most amazing sweet wines I have ever tasted. Their two new ...

Wine Spectator: A great bottle, ripe, intense, structured, focused and concentrated, with youthful, vibrant, layered flavors, gaining velocity and length. There's a tremendous finish.--Non-bl...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Inky purple. Heady, explosive aromas of black raspberry and blueberry preserves, garrigue and incense, with smoky mineral and anise accents. Lush and palate-coating, offerin...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Inky purple. Heady, explosive aromas of black raspberry and blueberry preserves, garrigue and incense, with smoky mineral and anise accents. Lush and palate-coating, offerin...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: (70% mourvedre and 10% each of grenache, counoise and syrah, all raised in foudre): Glass-staining purple. Hypnotic bouquet of black and blue fruits, potpourri and exotic sp...

About this Wine: This muscular wine has phenomenal density, dry vintage port-like concentration, and magnificent notes of smoke, blackberries, cassis, leather and coffee.

About this Wine: French for "joy", La Joie emphasizes Cabernet Sauvignon and represents a Pauillac-style wine. The wine is deep purple in color, spicy and intense in the nose, with density...