First bottle corked, marginally, but corked. Medium ruby-red colour. The nose starts meaty, eventually giving up red berries – quite super as the bottle is finished. In the mouth it’s somewhat stodgy with acidity a little to the fore and noticeable tannin. It’s still almost good, but perhaps needs a couple more years in the cellar if ‘easy-drinking’ is your target – we’ll see.
Medium-pale colour. Very much like the 1996 the nose has tons of complexity – again that core of red fruit shining through – lovely just to sniff. The palate is not dense, yet manages to be packed with flavour and complexity. In some respects it is still a little unruly, and certainly needs a few more years of maturation for ‘charm’ but was anyway great fun.
Deep ruby colour with a browner caste. The nose has a beefy depth and starts heavily, slowly giving up higher, more herby notes and guarded black cherry. The palate is loaded with soft tannin, concentration that builds into the finish and, overall, seems quite balanced. The acidity seems on a lowish level but that’s partly because of the strength of the fruity extract, but lingers well in the finish. What’s missing just now is a measure of elegance – perhaps it will come with age – I won’t open another in the next 5 years.
Medium ruby-red. This is a wine that needs to be cooled – at room temperature the nose and palate are diffuse and disappointing, cooler and it tightens up, becoming (a little) more interesting. The (cool) nose is high-toned with a core of red fruit fruit and plenty of minerally earth. The palate is beautifully balanced with good acidity and almost good length. It is rather linear and despite its relative sophistication (cold) has less ‘oomph’ than most village wines. I’m still a little disappointed.
Medium red, still with a cherry caste to the rim. A wild and wide nose that has black edged cherry, sweet compote and a little coffee in the background – really interesting. The palate is still a little linear, though transparent and with good acidity. The length is also almost good. Time in the glass brings this to an ever-improving level, filling out the palate more and more. Leaves a good impression.
Medium colour, still just a trace of cherry-red. Spice on the wide nose, which develops beautifully in the glass – dried red fruits and intense cherry. The palate never-quite lives up to the nose; good texture and an extra edge of concentration on the mid-palate and finish – a finish that slowly fades with a little grain on the tannin showing up. Today, this is half a great wine.
Medium cherry-red colour – perhaps just a trace of purple. The nose is wide with high-toned fruity headroom and more than a hint of sweetened cherry. The palate is fresh and wide – not the highest level of concentration, but depth and lovely fresh fruit with super complexity on the finish. I think with a little lower yields this could have been outstanding – as opposed to interesting and satisfying – first from this case, and no ‘buyer’s regret!’.
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