AR | Medium ruby in colour and look quite youthful in the glass, this is the first of 10 wines so far tasted in which the new oak (barrique?) dominates the aromas of fruit, which is somehow turns into a kind of balsamic feel; I actually quite like it but does the wine stand up in the glass? To an extent it does, and one or two glasses could be quite delicious with all that sandalwood oak spice adding an international dimension of sorts; in the long run, the oak still dominates the underlying fruit which is struggling for air, and while I could drink a glass or two now, I couldn't drink a bottle, let alone a case. If I had a case, I would leave it in the cellar for 10 years. And then cash in. Drink Dates: 2025 - 2035. 92
MP | Expressive nose with dominant notes of baking spice from oak including cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and clove. Beneath this there is blackberry, mulberry and plum. The nose evidences a generous dollop of oak and the palate confirms this with aggressive tannins that coat the mouth and leave little room for the fruit. It finishes with a drying sensation and this obscures the best of the black cherry, plum and eucalyptus that unfolds on the finish. Drink Dates: 2027 - 2032. 91