2012 Chateau Col Solare Red

Bright medium ruby. Deep aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, spices and licorice, plus a subtle suggestion of game. Plush, generous and sweet, offering lovely depth to the dark berry and spice flavors. Spreads out horizontally to saturate the palate on the very long, fresh back end, which features fine-grained tannins and lovely floral lift. Very classy juice, already sexy but with the concentration and structure to age.

Up there with the best vintages of this cuvee to date, Col Solare's 2012 Proprietary Red (a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend that spent 22 months in 100% new French oak) has textbook Red Mountain structure and depth, as well as lots of crème de cassis, black raspberries, chocolate, melted licorice and spice. Big, voluptuous, layered and ripe, with a dense, chewy texture and a big finish, it’s certainly fun to drink now, but will be better with short-term cellaring and have two decades of overall longevity.

Rich, chewy and dense. Intensely fruity, and there’s some floral character too. Impressive, lengthy, core fruit. Quite warm on the finish. (RH)