SF | Deep colouration, near-onyx at the core. The nose is dominated by crushed bilberry, bloodied meat and dried violet. Austere once again. The palate is more approachable , however, with raspberry fruit, soft spice and a hint of buttered toast evidenced. Some quite impressive oak in play here methinks; overall, therefore the ensemble has appeal , harmony and a finely poised purity on the finish. 91
AJ | Saturated dense black-red Sweet and warm. It's not often this granite-soiled, high-altitude region flirts with 'baked' but we are almost there with this wine; attractive but not complex Very dense and sweet-fruited on the palate, flirting with raisininess; yet the acidic brutality never really leaves and the drinker is left struggling to try to cope with this almost schizophrenic balance which is shocking and hard to resolve. For all that, this is one of the better wines in the tasting: there is real purity, drive, length and profundity here. On the palate there is nothing baked at all; the acidity initially chases that impression off, and then the tannins and extracts provide real lingering interest and provocation. There is even a holly-leaf and gentian-root freshness which I couldn't see on the nose at all. Finally for all my qualms I feel that this is very good wine with a long life ahead.Drink Dates: 2024 - 2034. 92
RM | Deep, nearly opaque youthful colour with lovely Burgundian aromas, new oak, (still a bit disjointed) restrained morello cherry with underlying intensity and depth; overt smoky new oak cuts through initially on the palate but the intense fruit comes back to dominate on the finish and I think that this wine just needs more time to integrate, elegance and finesse showing on the finishDrink Dates: 2026 - 2040. 92