I opened last night and decanted it a few hours before drinking. The first glass was hard as nails and difficult to enjoy. There was an astringency to the entry that wouldn’t go away. So I forgot about the wine for a while and went back to it three hours later. Still tight, at least the astringency was for the most part gone. At that point I could smell the floral, peppery nose and taste the melange of red raspberries, bacon fat and saddle leather I was hoping for when I opened this. I guess you can call me Mr. Dumas for opening this too early.
On day 2, the wine has softened considerably and has no spine left. The flavors are all there, however, and it is easier to enjoy now than last night. I was really hoping to be blown away by this bottle, but in the end I was merely relieved that it calmed down enough to be enjoyable after many hours of air. I think this needs at least two more years.
