Signorello’s flagship wine, the 2008 Padrone Proprietary Red, is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by a more projected and intense aromatic profile consisting of charcoal, forest floor, underbrush, black currants and plums. Full-bodied, rich, dense and concentrated, it seems more approachable than the Cabernet Sauvignon, but there is also much more to it. This big, promising red will be better in 3-5 years and should last for two decades. Tel. (707) 255-5990; Fax (707) 255-5999

Impressive, heady bouquet of mulled fruit, spice, prune, stylish oak and blackcurrant. A bit monolithic with fleshy, solid fruit, tannins and a rich texture. Drink 2012. Alc: 14.7%. (15.5 points)

Few wines in the world are richer than this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It’s extraordinarily powerful in ripe, concentrated raspberry, cherry and blackberry jam, liberally oaked. Soft and velvety, it seems designed to appeal to sheer hedonism, at the cost of ageability. Drink up.——S.H.(12/15/2011)—— 90