"It has a ripe blackberry nose laced with green bell pepper, fig and liquorice. The palate is medium-bodied with bold, slightly coarse tannins. However, the fruit is clean and offers blackberry, cedar and dried orange peel towards the decidedly conservative finish."

"Quite juicy, this features nice grippy briar and licorice snap notes coursing through the core of steeped black currant and fig fruit. Toasted, but integrated, with the licorice edge hanging nicely on the finish."

"Reticent but pure aromas of cassis, blackberry, licorice, bitter chocolate, espresso and spicy oak. Then pliant, lush and deep, with terrific inner-mouth energy and violet perfume to lift the dark berry flavors. The tannins saturate the palate and front teeth without coming across as dry. Classy, polished wine--the best yet from the team of Bruno Prats, Hubert de Bouard and Lowell Jooste. The co-owners have increased their wine's syrah percentage to great effect, as this 2008 avoids the green notes of earlier vintages without showing any syrah rusticity." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.