There is an implied sense of fruity muscle and depth to the youthful and yet very complex aromas of this aromatically involving effort, and, what follows in flavor confirms each and every impression. The wine is full and just slightly supple with a straight spine afforded from its fairly sizeable tannins, but even though young and somewhat tough, it never once loses sight of very rich fruit. It is not one to drink straightaway unless one is wholly inured to astringency, but it has all the right pieces in all the right places to age famously for a very long time.

Sourced from high atop Michael Mondavi’s Atlas Peak vineyards, this is feral and intense in black currant liqueur and leather, the mountain tannins up front and fierce. Cellaring until 2014–2019 will do further wonders for this wine.