($175) Deep medium ruby. Subdued but pure aromas of dark fruits and licorice. Sweet, stylish and pure, with a suave, fine-grained texture and subtle flavors of currant, raspberry, iron, tobacco and minerals. Lush and perfectly balanced; a bit less roasted in character than the superb 2001, which I again rated 94 points in early March. Finishes with outstanding, mounting persistence. Showing spectacularly right now. Combines great sweetness and richness with uncanny finesse and purity of flavor. In theory at least, this is the most elegant wine in the Bond stable. The pH of this wine is typically around 4.0, or a bit higher than the St. Eden and Vecina.

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The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Melbury, which comes from a hillside vineyard site near Lake Hennessey, is showing even better than it did in its youth. Probably years away from full maturity, the wine has an extraordinary aromatic profile of smoky meats intermixed with blackberry, creme de cassis, charcoal, lead pencil shavings and espresso. Dense, opulent and full-bodied, with terrific fruit, this is a showcase style of vintage for a wine of such great ripeness and massive intensity. This extraordinary effort displays oodles of glycerin and fabulous purity, while the oak has been completely absorbed. The cooler hillside climate of blue fruits and spring flowers is also present as the wine aerates in the glass. This wine has at least another 15-30 years of potential ahead of it.

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Firm, pure, rich and concentrated, dense and youthful, this delivers blackberry, wild berry, olive, currant, mocha and black licorice flavors, ending with che

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Fantastic Wine as always. Big, Long Finish, Many layers, Perfect balance, One of the best