Medium dark ruby. Deeply classic aromas feature black cherry and currant, cedar, and a hint of oak. The palate is lovely, medium to full bodied, very vigorous, but the with tannins almost fully resolved. There is real density here, along with flavors that offer subtle hints of tobacco and iron under the restrained, just-ripe fruit, now more currant than cherry, with small touches of both strawberry and red raspberry. The power and restraint are very attractive, setting this as a classic throwback style of red Bordeaux when ‘masculine’ was a simple descriptor of style and implied a certain polite reticence. Rated 91.5, mature but should hold this level for another 3 - 5 years, maybe even improve up to a point. I’ve got five left, figure one a year, a pleasant surprise.
Dan Kravitz