Ruby colored in the glass, this Bulgarian wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. It has aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg and black plum. It is balanced with flavors of plum, blackberry and baking spice, and there is just a touch of dark chocolate on the persistent finish.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon / Syrah, an equal blend, was aged for eight months in new French oak and comes in at 14% alcohol. One of my favorites in this group, this has notable power, although like most of the others, it may not have the concentration to truly excel with extended aging-the structure is better than the fruit. Still, we're almost at age seven now, and this is in fine shape. You will have to like those beefy aromatics, though. The Syrah here is in aggressive form, giving this a strong overlay of roast beef. The Syrah largely overwhelms the Cab in flavor and aromatics. This somewhat gamey red will be best used with an appropriate food pairing-steak would be nice, or something similar. It should hold another few years without a problem. Let's take that in stages and be conservative, though.