"Good deep ruby-red. Very complex, slightly roasted aromas of plum, cassis, cedar, tobacco and smoky oak; has a liqueur-like ripeness. Large-scaled, soft and harmonious; not as dense or deep as the '97 but quite lush and plummy for the vintage. Finishes with firm, tongue-coating tannins." -Stephen Tanzer
Robert Parker
RP88
"A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Cabernet Franc, from Viader's beautiful hillside vineyards, this 1996 is made in a polished, graceful style. Medium-bodied, with lush, herb-tinged, raspberry and black currant fruit intermixed with mineral and lead pencil notes, this lovely, stylish, restrained offering already provides pleasant drinking, yet should keep for 10-12 years." -Robert M. Parker, Jr.