This Bordeaux blend is delicious, refined and ageworthy. It’s dry and quite tannic now, but underneath the astringency is a beautifully balanced wine with intensely concentrated blackberry and dark chocolate fruit, with an earthiness. A terrific wine that should come into its own after 2017.

Dense and focused, with black currant and loamy earth aromas and layered, well-structured flavors of black cherry, espresso and cedar. Tannins firm up the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2013 through 2017. – TF

The 2009 Red Wine Harmonie, a blend of 51% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, seems to work better than the Alliance, probably because the greater presence of Merlot in the blend gives the wine an attractive fleshiness that is missing in Alliance. Dark red cherries, flowers, mint and French oak are some of the notes that are layered into the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. - Antonio Galloni