Expectations were low given the CellarTracker scores (average of 86) and mediocre vintage. Also, this was one of the WORST corks I’ve ever experienced; consistency of Play-Doh. I even made a mess of it with a Durand. Thought the wine was going to be a disaster after a cork like that.
But…overall, I was pleasantly surprised. Showing some age in the glass with evident bricking, but not to a worrying degree. Delicate cherries, stewed strawberries, warm oranges, leather, decaying wood, and a bit of soy sauce on the nose. It smells mature, but not too old.
More fruit forward on the entry than I expected. I taste cherries and cranberries at first. The tannins are very smooth, mostly gone. Body is quite light. Acidity is medium. It’s fruit forward for a few seconds, then come the leather and earthiness, and then some old soy. A bit of dirty old catcher’s mitt at the end that is not the nicest. The fruit is hanging on, but the wine is getting on in years.
Overall, the wine is impressively light on its feet, pretty, but was at its best a few years ago. My guess is it was good but not great at its apogee, and it’s just starting on the decline. Good for an 18 yr old village level from a so-so vintage, but not great either.
