2014 De Toren Fusion V

(aged in half new and half second-fill French barrels for 12 months, with the Malbec raised in American oak): Bright medium ruby. Crushed blueberry and blackberry aromas show an element of rocky minerality that I did not find in the 2013 Z bottling. Densely packed, tight and brooding; more savory than sweet, with strong licorice and spicy oak notes apparent in the early going. A very powerful, firmly tannic Left Bank style with the structure for extended aging. The long finish features spicy high tones.