Compote of red and black berry fruit dusted with baking spice on the nose. Lovely interplay of ripe, yet lively hedgerow and dark fruit with spice, bright succulence and a deeper, earthier cocoa note. Rounded, plush and rich, the wine is elegant, polished and statuesque. Seamless integration of fruit and sympathetic oak adds to the overall impression of harmony. Focused and long with a rewarding finish.
Ripe black berry fruits, licorice and a trace of florality can be found on the nose. The palate offers up those same plush, ripe black berries, cherry and licorice along with a deeper, dark herb and earthy element. The sensation is one of dryness, almost a perception of being lean and austere but that’s because the wine is still tightly furled and reined in. It’s supple, sinewy, succulent and rewarding with the fruit and oak seamlessly meshed. The grip is firm without being forceful or too bold or muscular. A wine that needs time to show its true beauty.
Rich Christmas pudding with spice and a hint of dried flowers on the nose. The palate offers instant appeal in its warm, smooth, richly fruited entry. Lovely interplay of flavour and texture – dark chocolate, blueberries, a touch of liquorice and dried herbs set against an earthy depth and integrated frame of polished oak.
Layered nose of inviting tea leaf, violets, dark Christmas cake and black cherries. The palate is also layered, rich with those same elements – Christmas cake sumptuousness vying with brewed tea, tomato leaf and spicy, cedary hints from time in barrel. Seductive, plush and elegantly refined but with a muscular power lurking deep down, this is an impressive, structured but rewarding wine. The integration of wood and fruit is impressive and it is beautifully balanced and long. The aftertaste lingers.
The universal appeal of chocolate is allied to an understated violet perfume and some deeper, inky, earthy notes, making for a seductive mix. Texture informs the palate: rounded on entry, soft, lush and succulent. Only then do the rich cocoa and dark black, blue and cherry fruit notes announce their presence, along with a squeeze of chalky but fine tannin. Elegant, refined and poised, the palate displays lovely harmony of fruit and oak in a deliciously long, supple and silky package. It feels effortless but is supremely rewarding in the pleasure stakes.
Complex bouquet of fruitcake, cedar, cocoa and a perfumed whiff of dried lavender. Broad, fleshy and succulent with all of that the nose promises being delivered on the palate. Spice sprinkled cedar with rich dark fruitcake flavour. Wonderfully soft, rounded and silky palate that shows cohesion and refinement. Impressive density and concentration that doesn’t overwhelm. Nor does the oak used in the maturation of this impressive blend. Plush, comfortable and eminently rewarding with a lingering dry tail.
Complex bouquet of fruitcake, cedar, cocoa and a perfumed whiff of dried lavender. Broad, fleshy and succulent with all of that the nose promises being delivered on the palate. Spice sprinkled cedar with rich dark fruitcake flavour. Wonderfully soft, rounded and silky palate that shows cohesion and refinement. Impressive density and concentration that doesn’t overwhelm. Nor does the oak used in the maturation of this impressive blend. Plush, comfortable and eminently rewarding with a lingering dry tail.
Appealing spicy plum and dark fruit compote aromas, perfumed and seductive. The palate entry is supple, smoothly rounded and comforting. Once again, the rich and ripe plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit are apparent. It doesn’t stop there, with pepper, herbs and an earthiness mingling with a cigar box and spice nuance. The ease and approachability are something of a disguise, as the wine has grip and muscular power in abundance. Harmonious and somewhat deceptive integrated oak adds to the impression of effortless ease, yet the wine remains poised, rich, rewarding and complex.
