Good bright ruby-red. Black cherry, cassis, licorice and minerals on the nose, with hints of band-aid and mint. A bit riper than the Counterpoint, but still a tad tart, with the blackcurrant and mint flavors firmed by slightly spiky acidity. Here the tannins are broader and sweeter than those of the Counterpoint. Patrick Campbell considers 2003 a cooler than average vintage and told me he did a lot of 'editing' to come up with this flagship bottling. This may well merit a higher score with bottle aging.

Stephen Tanzer