($110) Good saturated ruby. Highly complex aromas of black cherry, cassis, black licorice, dark chocolate, espresso, leather, meat and cola. Powerful, dense and rich, with deep sweetness and a strong chocolatey flavor. Finishes with huge, broad tannins that reach the front teeth but also superb middle-palate fat and persistence, especially for the vintage. I underestimated this last year.

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Deep crimson. Relatively light nose, but very, very sweet and ripe on the front of the palate - almost decadent - though there is, admirably, no hint of over-ripeness. The wine is made as though the winemaker has a terrible, and surely unwarranted, fear of tannin though (perhaps this quality was exaggerated in the half-bottle from which I tasted this). So this is an extremely ambitious Californian Cabernet that you could actually drink at three years old - which is perhaps pandering just too much to today's frenetic pace?

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The 2000 Les Pavots is the lightest example tasted in the last 5-6 years. While it is not a light wine, it does not possess the generosity or amplitude of the greatest vintages. Its deep ruby color is followed by herb-tinged, earthy, black currant aromas, moderate intensity, and an impressive attack, but it finishes short. While certainly a very good to excellent effort, it is not exciting.

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A rich, decadent style, with a loamy core of tannins underneath an equally earthy core of currant, tobacco, leather and spice. Tannins coat the palate on the finish, with plenty of concentrated flavors, but are also dry and potent. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. 2,808 cases made.

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Original Note - 14.1% alc, 73% C, 12% M, 15% CF.