99 Chateau Behere, Pauillac

Tinged orange and brown on the edges, this wine is perfectly approachable and ripe now with still a couple years of life left. The aroma is deep of beef broth, cassis, and violets. The palate is classic -- firm, but very fine-grained tannins -- with immediate and lingering flavors of pencil lead, spicy crushed berries, stewed meat, and mouth-watering acid. Powerful, yet nuanced.