Wine Spectator: Along with very firm tannins, this wine shows fresh blackberry and stone aromas and flavors and a velvety mouth-feel. Quite dense on the palate. Try after 1997.

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Good deep red. Black raspberry, sassafras, road tar and spicy oak on the nose. Sweet berry fruit shows an almost liqueur-like creaminess, but a peppery element and good underl...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: A sleeper of the vintage, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2008 Branon displays chocolatey, earthy undertones intermixed with black currants and Asian plum sauce. Medium to full-b...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: A sleeper of the vintage, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2008 Branon displays chocolatey, earthy undertones intermixed with black currants and Asian plum sauce. Medium to full-b...

Wine Spectator: This smolders beautifully from start to finish, showing warm tar, tobacco leaf and steeped black currant fruit, with hints of hot stone and graphite buried deeply on the fin...

Wine Spectator: Loaded, with intense bittersweet cocoa, mulled blackberry, steeped fig and warm plum reduction notes, all layered together and pushed by a loamy finish. Dark, deep and intense...

Wine Spectator: Loaded, with intense bittersweet cocoa, mulled blackberry, steeped fig and warm plum reduction notes, all layered together and pushed by a loamy finish. Dark, deep and intense...

Wine Spectator: Pure and polished, with very suave tannins caressing the plum, blackberry and black cherry fruit, while singed spice, melted black licorice and black tea fill in on the finish...

Wine Spectator: Intense, with dark, smoldering tobacco and charcoal leading the way, along with densely layered currant preserves, fig paste and blackberry coulis flavors. The finish lets the...

Wine Enthusiast: Barrel sample. Lemon, honey and spice dominate this attractive wine which is poised, light and fresh. There is a little structure of gooseberry tannins which add to the pleasu...

Wine Spectator: Riveting acidity carries the sweet pea, mâche, chalk and kaffir lime notes in this superracy, light-bodied version.-J.M.

Wine Spectator: Solidly built, with lemon pulp and grapefruit rind notes framing a rich core of creamed yellow apple and white peach. Nice minerality drives the finish. — J.M.

Wine Spectator: Still youthfully tight, this shows a packed core of plum, cassis and blackberry fruit wrapped with bittersweet cocoa, tobacco and charcoal notes. Nice drive marks the finish, ...

Wine Spectator: Offers a plush feel, with warm cocoa and steeped blueberry notes leading the way, backed by dark, fleshy plum and blackberry fruit. A loamy edge takes over on the finish, reve...

Wine Spectator: This has good flesh, with a lilac note giving way to dark mulled plum and linzer torte flavors, studded with black tea and roasted spice hints. Shows nice drive on the finish....

Wine Spectator: Big and bold, with currant, blackberry and plum fruit backed by espresso, smoke and mineral notes in this muscular red. The powerful character is more menacing than alluring, ...

Wine Spectator: Very fresh and bright, with a lovely racy edge from the start, showing mouthwatering quinine, white peach and Meyer lemon notes that all glide through the deftly toasty finish...