Brilliant red. Intense, spice-accented black raspberry, cherry and licorice aromas are enlivened by a suggestion of smoky minerals. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering lively dark berry and bitter cherry flavors that slowly open up and become sweeter with air. Shows very good depth as well as energy and finishes smoky and quite long, with building florality and chewy tannins that build steadily. -- Josh Raynolds

Aromas of black cherry, clove, spiced cake and vanilla show on the nose of this bottling. The texture is soft and pillowy on the sip, where a splash of acidity underlies the hearty black-cherry and mocha-foam flavors. MATT KETTMANN