The 2007 vintage was about as close to perfect as they get. Though this wine has its feet firmly grounded in California, several winemakers who tasted this wine in barrel felt that it also shared some of the best characteristics of red Burgundy wines – spicy, perfumed aromas with hints of tobacco and a focus on the red fruit spectrum. This wine is quite aromatic and displays a great deal of finesse in the mouth, with soft, velvety tannins set as a foil against the slightly acidic backbone, lending great structure to the wine. The palate is dominated by treble notes and tastes of red fruits such as raspberry and red cherries with a slight mineral quality. It has a lip-smacking, tenacious finish. 90+ points.