I’ll come right out and say it – I’ve been a fan of no. 99 for many years. I was an Oilers fan long before it became popular (I was born in Edmonton so it stands to reason – I also like the Eskimos). I read books about him in my youth; and I own about 5 of his rookie cards – I had them long before that became popular too, hence the bent corners, but one still smells like bubblegum. But my fascination with Wayne waned when he left the Oilers for L.A. – though I still followed him and was impressed by his stats and records. I never thought in a million years I’d get a chance to review his performance – but now that he’s stepped into my field, I suppose I legitimately can. The nose of this 65% Cabernet Franc / 25% Cabernet Sauvignon / 10% Merlot blend, which spent about a year (to 13 months) in oak, is all dark fruit: blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry and black pepper for seasoning. The tastes follow right along with a heavy reliance on the black pepper and some cedary notes play a game of pick-up in the background. The bottle I tried had been opened earlier in the day and thus had a chance to soften a little; the tannins were still there drying to a lesser degree then would a fresh bottle and the black fruit needs time to integrate with the oak and pepperyness. But the wine is pleasant for the price. I’d give it a career lifespan of about 3-5 years.