ANTHONIJ RUPERT PETIT VERDOT 2020

Tendrils of spice add nuance and allure to a nose packed with black berries, hedgerow fruit and some mocha notes. The palate is plush, rounded and pillowy but layered with dark fruitcake flavour, black cherry, baking spice and pencil shavings too. The mouthfeel is complemented by its overall stature and regal refinement. Balanced with seamless integration of oak and ripe, rich fruit with lovely succulence and freshness as well. Complex, supple and silky smooth, the wine is ultimately simply delicious with a superbly long tail.

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.

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.

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.