Bacio Divino SuperTuscan Blend Napa Valley 2001

The flagship offering, and one of the most interesting blends from northern California, is the 2001 Proprietary Red Wine. Composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Sangiovese, and 14% Syrah, it is a structured, closed, but dense, promising, rich, deep, and full-bodied effort. Aromas of black fruits, loamy soil, incense, minerals, pepper, and cedar are present in this impeccably balanced offering. With good underlying acidity and ripe tannin, this knock-out red should handsomely repay cellaring. Give it 1–3 more years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 10–12.

The flagship offering, and one of the most interesting blends from northern California, is the 2001 Proprietary Red Wine. Composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Sangiovese, and 14% Syrah, it is a structured, closed, but dense, promising, rich, deep, and full-bodied effort. Aromas of black fruits, loamy soil, incense, minerals, pepper, and cedar are present in this impeccably balanced offering. With good underlying acidity and ripe tannin, this knock-out red should handsomely repay cellaring. Give it 1andndash;3 more years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 10andndash;12.

Another terrific offering from this producer, the 1996 Bacio Divino (a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Sangiovese, 9% Petite Sirah, and 8% Merlot) offers a spicy, oaky nose with notions of jammy cassis, strawberries and cherries. Full-bodied and complex, with a dominant black fruit element upstaging the new oak nuances, this fleshy, ostentatious, pure, gorgeously seductive wine will drink well for 7-8 years. Kudos to winemaker/proprietor Claus Janzen.

Delicious, ripe, rich and complex, with layers of juicy cherry currant, blackberry, vanilla and spice. The long, intricate finish keeps pumping out the flavors. Drink now through 2007.

A remarkably complex and successful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petite Sirah. Offers a wonderful range of flavors, from the core of currant and blackberry to hints of cedar, sage, anise and nutmeg. Tightly wound and firmly tannic, with a long, intricate finish. Needs short-term cellaring. Best from 2006 through 2012.

Intense and concentrated, with fine structure and chewy tannins wrapped around a core of spicy currant, anise, blackberry and spicy nuances. Given its size and tannic strength, short-term cellaring is advised. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah. Best from 2006 through 2012.

This intriguing as well as innovative blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, 8% Petite Sirah, and 9% Merlot is again an outstanding effort. Already evolved and delicious, the dark ruby/plum color is followed by aromas of new saddle leather, black raspberries, plum liqueur, cherries, and toasty, smoky new oak. Medium to full-bodied, with sweet tannin, an open-knit, fleshy texture, and low acidity, this California "super Tuscan look-alike" can be drunk now and over the next decade.