($250; 15.1% alcohol) Deep red-ruby. Blacker, more brooding nose than the Ark: cassis, licorice and a whiff of caramel. Then sweet, lush and full in the mouth, with superb minerality contributing to this very deep wine's almost 3-D texture. Plusher and more effusive than the Ark, finishing with outstanding palate-coating breadth and length. Reminds me of a top Pomerol. Owner Jayson Woodbridge calls this bottling "a sexy, rumbling Ferrari," while he describes the Ark, with its structure, power and elegance, as a Rolls-Royce. (The 2007s had been sulfured shortly before my visit and were unavailable for tasting.)

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Wow! I can't say I underrated this wine, but, boy, it is pushing perfection ... and pushing it quickly. A nearly flawless, monumental effort, the 2006 boasts an extraordinary opaque purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of spring flowers, licorice, chocolate, toffee, espresso roast and blackberries. This multilayered wine is built like a skyscraper, with terrific intensity, but no heaviness, stunning richness, full body and great purity. With a youthful, voluptuous mouthfeel, it can be drunk now for its extraordinary purity of fruit, but it will not hit its prime for at least a decade. It should keep for three decades.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Shows wonderful complexity, purity of flavor, depth and concentration, with layers of mocha-laced currant, kirsch liqueur, blackberry and wild berry fruit that's supple, graceful, harmonious and polished, ending with great depth, persistence and length. Offers hints of cedar and tobacco.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio