This has medium, medium-plus colour. Tight, but a deep, brooding core of fruit topped by spiced red fruit, perhaps a trace of coffee too. The palate is also a little tight, but the texture is not bad, the tannin is relatively fine-grained with just a hint of astringency. Good balance of acidity but the fruit is now clenched around the core structure. Slowly mouth-watering. Relatively closed, but seemingly with everything in place – two bottles remain in the cellar – next one at 10 years of age I’d say.

Medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose is a little yeasty at first and fresh-baked bread, then slowly starts to give up fresh black cherry and even a blue tinge to the fruit, just a little licorice and bacon too. The palate is mouthfilling with good acidity, medium-plus furry tannins and a spicy black fruit aspect. This wine manages to show both authority and drinkability in one very young package. No really overt oak character and at €17 from the Giant-Casino supermarket this is a bargain – I bought a few more.