Opens with an explosion of rich cassis blackberry and blueberry followed by a hint of dusty slate spicy cedar and toasty vanilla. Lush on entry with flavors building rapidly on a densely packed mid-palate. Ample ripe tannins give the wine a lot of structure and body through the finish. Dark black cherry and cassis are matched with black truffle wet earth and lingering roast coffee on the finish. Excellent

92+ This luxury cuvée from Reignac’s proprietor Yves Vatelot is 100% Merlot fermented in little cigar new oak barrels. It emerges from 7.5 acres of the Reignac vineyard, situated on clay, limestone and gravel soils. The wine, which spent 19 months in 100% new oak, is a 1,000-case cuvée bottled unfined and unfiltered. Extremely youthful at age 10 (tasting more like it’s two or three years old), this chocolaty wine, with notes of espresso roast, black cherry liqueur and cassis, is full-bodied, powerful, young, rich and a progressive, modern style of wine, but loaded with character and richness. It needs another several years of bottle age and should drink well for at least two decades. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A dense full-bodied red with lots of smoky oak coloring the black currant and notes of passion fruit kumquat and violet. Long and flavorful with a backbone of velvety tannins. A little brutish just now but it's all there. Best after 2011. 500 cases made. -JS