SH | Youthful dark ruby colour medium deep, the nose is gently but has some depth and layers of aroma with fragrant notes of rose and iris supported by black cherry and subtle touches of cream and spice. Round and soft first impression in terms of weight and texture but a little green fruit, unripe cherry and bitter cranberry flavours, bright, juicy acidity but with quite a drying elongated tannic finish. Despite such a promising start on the nose the palate feels a little harder with unripe tannins. Pair with richer meaty dishes to show its best.Drink Dates: 2024 - 2028. 84
AJ | Deep scarlet, right to the rim, but translucent for all that. Cherry is the principal fruit note here, with some earthy plum beneath. Vanilla too. Some use of small oak, clearly. Attractive, but more primary than many of its peers and honestly a little sweet for my taste. On the palate, the oak is less evident (other than in a dryish firmness of tannin); the currants are concentrated, and those fruit flavours have not in the end been over-sweetened or compromised. Relatively chunky and four-square in style.Drink Dates: 2025 - 3030. 86
MP | Discreet and elegant nose with very fine notes of red currant, tinned strawberry, hawthorn, red cherry, red apple, black cherry, cinnamon and cedar. This has a certain refined elegance and polished, powdery tannins that help the wine finish with tremendous length and vibrancy. There's weight and structure but also the concentration of fruit and complexity necessary to help this develop.Drink Dates: 2028 - 2035. 95