2002 Peter Barlow Cabernet Sauvignon

(all estate cabernet) Deep ruby-red. Flamboyant, enticing aromas of blackberry, currant and exotic spices, complicated by chocolate, leather, mint and a floral topnote. Rich, sweet and highly concentrated, with an almost candied edge to the flavors of currant, plum, herbs and eucalyptus. Finishes firmly tannic and very long. Shows better mid-palate depth than the 2002 John X Merriman, not to mention lovely lift. A great performance for the vintage, and in need of four or five years of cellaring to fully express itself.