Medium-minus ruby-red colour. Fresh nose that’s surprisingly tight for the vintage. Much more depth than the nose would suggest, clean, sweet and ripe flavours that open out on the mid-palate before fading into a nice medium-length finish that shows a lovely redcurrant note. Hard to fault, but it’s only the finish that holds the interest.
Golden. The nose starts in a healthy way with tight, clean, mineral and citrus aspects, though becomes much more diffuse as it warms in the glass. It’s an almost sweet and sour experience, the ripe fruit providing the sweetness and the rustic acidity giving the sour aspect. The weather was hot and this was drunk to the end. Overall I’d say almost good, but keep it chilled.
Another pale-ish and and mature looking wine. Slight green and cedary notes overlay a sweet apple and raspberry pie. The texture is almost good despite a slightly rasping finish. Not an archetypal 1997, indeed a it’s maybe a little under ripe, but there’s a sweet and cedary finish. Quite drinkable but not on my purchase list.
One bottle per year since release and to-date plenty of disappointments – I think I’ve another 7 or 8 left. The first bottle lived up to the original Clive Coates review, all the others were dumb – most unlike the 1997 – perhaps with this wine we’ve turned the corner. Despite a slightly musty note (presumably cork derived but not counted as corked) on the nose and palate, at last we have a wine with personality! The colour is deep and shows little advancement. Powdery red fruit over a slightly ‘dirty’ background. The palate at last shows some interest with dense, even monolithic, red fruit that shows raspberry and strawberry notes. The acidity is good and the finish is also showing much better, slightly creamy extension. Still a year or two away from it’s drinking window, but I’m feeling much better about the original purchase…
Golden. The nose is a mix of slightly alcoholic high tones plus a little green-skinned fruit against a pungent base of honey. Starts a little out of sorts and slightly bitter, but comes round quickly to reveal a good, fat palate of mature, primary fruit and almost good acidity. The finish is of reasonable length. Quite a good wine that is unlikely to get better so I’ll be drinking and enjoying mine over the summer.
Golden colour. Toasty, oaky nose with a sweet background creaminess and a hint of spent fireworks. A lovely intense palate with pear and peach and a little nutty, still marked by oak. There’s good acidity and a long creamy aftertaste. Voluptuous rather than elegant, I’d be quite content to leave this in the cellar for another year or two to let the oak fade a little more. Rather good.
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