2014 Amon-Ra Shiraz

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Amon-Ra Shiraz has a youthfully mute nose, offering glimpses at the blackberry, blackcurrant and licorice core, plus suggestions of dark chocolate, cigar boxes, fertile earth and baking spices. The full-bodied palate delivers concentrated, muscular blackberry and earth flavors with plenty of freshness and a beautiful backbone of finely grained tannins, finishing with commendable persistence and layers. This is a great contender for wine of the vintage!

(aged for 14 months in new oak, 90% French and the rest American): Inky purple. An explosively perfumed bouquet evokes ripe blueberry, cherry-cola, incense and vanilla, with a suave floral overtone building in the glass. Stains the palate with sweet, deeply concentrated black and blue fruit and violet pastille flavors, with juicy acidity providing shape and lift. Vanilla, mocha and dark fruit liqueur notes cling on a strikingly long, expansive finish framed by supple tannins. This big boy is wearing its 15.5% alcohol gracefully and while it won't win any prizes for delicacy, fans of the type--which includes this writer when the wine is done right--will adore it.

(aged for 14 months in new oak, 90% French and the rest American): Inky purple. An explosively perfumed bouquet evokes ripe blueberry, cherry-cola, incense and vanilla, with a suave floral overtone building in the glass. Stains the palate with sweet, deeply concentrated black and blue fruit and violet pastille flavors, with juicy acidity providing shape and lift. Vanilla, mocha and dark fruit liqueur notes cling on a strikingly long, expansive finish framed by supple tannins. This big boy is wearing its 15.5% alcohol gracefully and while it won't win any prizes for delicacy, fans of the type--which includes this writer when the wine is done right--will adore it. Mar 2016, www.vinous.com, Drink: 2022-2029