A youthful, opaque dark ruby/garnet color suggests a young wine. The nose offers up wood and earth, but little fruit. On the palate, the wine is muted, with a hollow center, and an astringent, harshly tannic finish. It will keep for another 15-20 years, but the fruit is already dissipating, leaving a wine that is all structure with no charm.The tasting notes for this section are from two single blind tastings, one conducted in May, 1996, in California, and the other in June, 1996, in Baltimore.