Aromas of blackberries, blueberries, wet earth and black tea. Full-bodied, dense and layered with medium, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Shows focus and power. Needs three or four years to start coming together.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Barde-Haut gives up notions of plum preserves, potpourri and baked cherries with underlying Chinese five spice and cigar box hints. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm backbone of grainy tannins and background freshness supporting the spicy black fruits, finishing on a lingering earthy note.

A restrained style, with a core of damson plum, raspberry and cassis flavors held in check for now by fine-grained cedar, sanguine and iron hints. There's racy acidity running underneath and a long, focused finish, so cellar this to let the two sides meld fully.