2014 Vatan Arena

98+ Points: From the same vineyard as the Vatan release, the 2014 Vatan Arena is the first vintage of the cuvée and was brought up all in new French oak. This deep, inky-colored effort gives up awesome notes of crème de cassis, smoked earth, violets, and vanilla bean. Full-bodied, concentrated, yet opulent and layered, with fabulous purity of fruit and building tannin, this monumental beauty has no hard edges, fine, fine tannin, and a blockbuster finish. It's straight up gorgeous on all accounts yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age and will keep for 3-4 decades.