It must be said there is some serious bottle variation with this wine but when you get a goodun', as was the case tonight, you are in for an absolute treat.
Now open for three hours, the wine is still powering along on the palate. Deep ruby core with plenty of bricking in the meniscus. The nose is a little reticent just at the moment with bitter chocolate, dusty cardamon, cedar and some spicy wood peeping through. Earlier there was a fair whack of blackcurrant and chocolate to the fore with a leafy aspect as a top note. The palate has been pure joy from the first sip; jam-packed with super-ripe summer berry salad fruit - mainly blackberry but also suggestive of some blackcurrant, boysenberry and mulberry, but not overdone and with just the right degree of modulation as it passes through the mouth. Add some judicious savoury cut from some very spiffy wood and a fair tweek of perfectly wrought grip and you have only very fine young (yes, young) red on your hands. The finish is spot on and drop dead gorgeous. 94 points. On tonight's bottle, I'd think this will last for another 10 years, minimum. Top wine.