2008 Futo Proprietary Red Wine

(15.3% alcohol): Saturated dark ruby to the rim! Inky, primary aromas of cassis, blackberry, blueberry, violet, bitter chocolate and licorice; about as black as Cabernet can be but with very good lift. Densely packed but juicy and light on its feet, with the slightly herbal quality of the vintage energizing the middle palate. But there's also a lovely creamy sweetness verging on confectionary here. Following the bottling in 2010 I liked this wine a lot but found it quite closed and tannic. Today it's still a primary fruit bomb but it's a more harmonious wine with a seriously tannic but lively finish and palate-staining length. Hands off for at least a few more years.

(cabernet sauvignon with 29% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot; 15.3% alcohol): Good ruby-red. Sexy aromas of crushed black raspberry, licorice pastille and smoked meat, lifted by a floral nuance. Big, ripe and highly concentrated, showing very good energy to the powerful, slightly aggressive black raspberry flavor. Almost too powerful today, with the strong tannins showing a faint dry edge. This seems to be shutting down in the bottle and is in an awkward stage today.