The nose had a slightly burning, alcoholic top-note, below is a diffuse but deep layer of red fruit, augmented by occasional leafy aromas. The palate, whilst silky smooth, only serves to move you along the conveyor to the mid-palate, there waiting for you is a shrill mid-palate that whilst intense is not all that nice. Long but bitter finishing. I remember this being much, much better last time, though admittedly that was 4 years ago. I can only assume that cork must have have been the culprit!

Medium, medium-plus colour – still holding onto cherry-red – but only just. The nose starts with considerable width but not much depth, there’s an undertow of sweet creamy earth but little else. Slowly the nose begins to blossom with tight red fruit, cranberry and red cherry, eventually redcurrant too. In the mouth this is superbly intense and after you swallow; it’s very much like the sides of your mouth are leaking as the finish goes on and on. The overall effect is of a taught and wirey wine with tannins that are quite smooth with faint astringency and just a trace of bitterness. With time the bitterness is lost yet its tightly wound transparent nature remains true – no change.