-- Galloni: FONGEANT: Bright purple. Heady aromas of ripe dark berries, cherry liqueur, potpourri and incense, along with a smoky topnote. Sweet and seamless in texture, offering energetic, palate-staining dark berry liqueur, violet pastille and spicecake flavors supported by a spine of juicy acidity. Velvety tannins build steadily on the impressively long, penetrating finish, which leaves behind notes of candied blue fruits, star anise and violet. 94/100 - COTE BODIN: Inky ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of boysenberry, cherry preserves, licorice and potpourri are sharpened by a smoky mineral quality. Smooth and expansive on the palate, offering densely packed black and blue fruit, spicecake and violet pastille flavors that show superb concentration and energy. Smooth, slow-building tannins add shape and gentle grip to the smoky, alluringly sweet finish, which echoes the blue fruit and floral notes. 94/100 - MONTMAIN: Bright purple. Black and blue fruits, Indian spices and fruitcake on the intensely perfumed nose. Plush, broad and sweet in the mouth, offering impressively concentrated blackberry liqueur, candied cherry and violet pastille flavors underscored and sharpened by a core of juicy acidity. Finishes on a smoky mineral note, showing outstanding power and persistence and smooth, harmonious tannins. 94/100 - LA VIALLIERE: Lurid violet. Mineral- and spice-accented aromas of ripe dark berries, sandalwood and olive are lifted by a strong suggestion of cracked pepper. At once concentrated and energetic, offering palate-staining blackberry, bitter cherry and fruitcake flavors, taking on a hint of smokiness on the back half. Turns sweeter on the impressively persistent finish, which features building tannins and lingering smoke and floral nuances. 94/100 - BERTHOLON: Saturated ruby. Ripe dark berries, spicecake and candied violet on the highly perfumed nose. Rich but lively in the mouth, offering sweet black and blue fruit and cola flavors accented by a strong suggestion of cracked pepper. Finishes with smooth, slow-building tannins, repeating florality and strong, spicy persistence.93/100 - BUT DE MONT: Glass-staining ruby. Smoke-accented aromas of blackberry, cherry pit, licorice pastille and violet are sharpened by a smoky mineral quality. Smooth and expansive on the palate, offering juicy dark berry, cracked pepper and violet pastille flavors that show very good energy. Smooth, slow-building tannins shape a smoky, clinging, appealingly sweet finish that echoes the blue fruit and floral notes. 93/100
