SF | Deep colour, almost coal cinders, then a generous nose of raspberry punnets, sloes and bilberry, a touch of vanillin in the background, spice, cayenne pepper and palma violets; a basket of flavour in other words, a symphony of exuberance; gilded by uplifting acidity and blessed with pure and pleasingly ripe fruit. One discerns the mountain air, the diurnal variations, the rugged homestead for this intriguing field blend. 94
AJ | Dark, dense, purposeful black-red. A frankly rather weird nose: cinnamon, cleaning fluid, menthol and eucalyptus. It doesn't entice and smells thoroughly unnatural to me. Dense and thick-textured, not overly acidic, so in some ways an ambitious, low-yielding wine with ample appeal -- but those strange aromatic notes are still all over the palate. What has happened here? Just a weird oak choice? Maybe. Sorry ... since I can see effort and ambition here but I would struggle to drink this with pleasure (though my score reflects the innate quality of the harvest and the fact that some might drink this with pleasure). Without the weird aromatics it would be a good Dao in sturdy style.Drink Dates: 2024 - 2027. 87
RM | Deep, dark, nearly opaque in colour; ripe, characterful sour cherry fruit with underlying smoky-savoury oak; oak comes to the fore on the palate initially but there is some good ripe, spicy fruit underneath with tannic grip, depth and richness, this needs time to come together.Drink Dates: 2026 - 2035. 90