94 Points | International Wine Cellar , November/December 2012

(includes 8% merlot):  Bright red-ruby.  Cassis, chocolate, cocoa powder and enticing oak tones on the nose.  Opulent and layered on the palate, with a hint of chocolatey merlot adding sweetness to the creamy dark berry flavors.  Most impressive today on the very long finish, which features thoroughly ripe, very broad tannins that are already in harmony with the wine's lush fruit.  This will be a knockout early and has the stuffing and balance for a graceful evolution in bottle.  It's hard to imagine that a wine like this will ever go through a dumb stage.

92 Points | Wine Spectator