Allen Meadows - Score: 91-93 (2009 Jan.)

This is the first wine to display any oak influence at all and even here it is almost invisible, setting off fresh but very restrained, even brooding dark berry fruit aromas that are in keeping with the equally serious, intense, concentrated, full-bodied flavors that possess ample dry extract that confers a velvety mouth feel on what is actually a quite firmly structured, complex and admirably long finish. I quite like this and it's at another level.