2010 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Signature

Good dark red. Leafy aromas of plum, cassis, kirsch, mocha, menthol and tobacco. Smooth and lively on entry, showing a sappy quality and a slight greenness to its moderately ripe flavors of plum, dark berries, tobacco, cedar and herbs. My first sample was bit porty, but this one is fresher. Its palate- and tooth-dusting tannins are reasonably well supported by mid-palate material but turned a bit drier with aeration. Distinctly herbal in style, but I find this wine better-balanced than the 2009 last year, with a narrower range of fruit ripeness. Not bad, but unlikely to improve further.