(15.9% alcohol; 59% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 9% petit verdot): Deep ruby-red. High-pitched aromas of blueberry, cherry, wild herbs and minerals. Initially creamy, fat and sweet in the middle but firmed up dramatically with air, ultimately showing a strong graphite minerality and much less lushness and easy sweetness. Finishes with a firm spine of building tannins. The most Medoc-like of this 2009 collection, and in need of at least several years of aging.

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The 2009 Cariad Red Wine is a blend of fruit sourced from Thorevilos and Madrona Ranch in St. Helena. It is deep, sensual and beautifully balanced in its dark black fruit, menthol, spices and licorice. This is a much firmer and more structured wine than the Tychson Hill. It doesn't have that wine's sheer early appeal, but it does have the structure to age gracefully for years. Smoke, savory herbs and licorice are some of the notes that frame the explosive finish. The blend is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot.

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Very tight and sturdy, firm and muscular, offering extracted blackberry fruit, with notes of black licorice, spice and tar. Ends with chewy tannins and a pleasant edge of ripe fruit.

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