Balnaves 2006 The Blend SAMay08 has just been released, is sealed under screwcap and sells for $19 at cellar door. The bouquet is soft and creamy and shows plum and vanillin oak. Smooth but chewy, powdery tannins combine with fresh acid and pure, deeply-seated, strong, juicy fruit to form a wine that is just ample in weight, has a supple consistency, and a solid structure. The palate profile is both sweet and off sweet with dark chocolate, vanilla, blackberry, black current and cigar box. It finishes with acceptable persistence but there is not much on the back palate. Still, it's very quaffable, has tonnes of fruit flavour and will be hugely popular. Rated as Agreeable with *** for value, drink over the next five years.