97 points Wine Advocate

Another brilliant 2005 (93% Grenache and 7% Syrah), it has put on weight and seems to be developing more complexity. California’s cooler year seems to have given all the top 2005s loads of perfume and distinctive aromatics. Oodles of kirsch, licorice, charcoal and floral notes along with some blacker fruit characteristics jump from the glass of this dense bluish/purple wine. Medium to full-bodied, yet extraordinarily elegant for a Grenache, with beautiful purity in its hints of white chocolate and forest floor and its admirably textured, long finish, this wine is still young but approachable thanks to its aromatics fireworks, yet should last for an additional 10-15 years. (8/2011)