(Roughly two-thirds merlot and one-third Cabernet Sauvignon, with a pinch of petit verdot): Full dark ruby. Sappy, bright aromas of blackberry, cassis and violet. Powerfully structured, dense and tightly wrapped. The new oak component contributes to the wine?s impressive tannic clout. Still, this wine?s superb intensity and persistence suggests that the fruit will remain when the tannins begin to soften.

Complex and concentrated, with earthy currant, coffee, vanilla, herb and tobacco, finishing with intensity and depth. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2007. 466 cases made.

The compelling 1997 Reserve Claret offers an opaque purple color in addition to a sumptuous bouquet of sweet blackberries, creme de cassis, and minerals, superb richness, exceptional concentration, and huge body. However, it manages to avoid being overbearing or unmanageable. Purity and delineation are also present in this multi-dimensional, prodigious wine. Although an infant in terms of development, it is accessible because of the ripe tannin and spectacularly concentrated fruit.