(a blend of 85% carignano, 10% cabernet sauvignon and 5% merlot): Good full red-ruby. Ripe, smoky red cherry, field herbs, dry spices and a touch of chocolatey reduction on the brooding, complex nose. Serious, structured and quite suave; weighty and powerful, with flavors of medicinal red cherry, thyme, sweet pipe tobacco and minerals. The very long finish displays enticing sweetness. This rich yet taut and linear wine is enjoyable today but will be at its best with another six or seven years of bottle aging. Aged for 18 months in small French oak (30% new). One of the best Barrua wines in years.