A more youthful, purple colour than the lower wine, good clarity. The nose is really interesting. There's definite complexity here, mixing plums, a sort of floral yet spicy candied fruit character with a hint of sous-bois and perhaps a tiny bit of brett too. It's seamless and smooth, if a little understated. The palate's entry shows really fine, firm acidity that underlines the wine's flavour profile and creates good movement through to the mid-palate. The flavours here are a replay of the nose, and there's a tightness (without any sense of brutishness) to the wine that suggests it may take some time to find its proper expression. Sweet and sour cherries, some foliage, minerality -- good intensity -- again seamless and elegant, a wine with self-confidence. The after palate displays a hint of oak as tannins start to dry the tongue and prepare for a finish of good length.
It's too early to fully enjoy this wine, but what's here is promising. I will revisit it in a few years' time. I'm about to sit down to dinner and will be interested to see how it responds to food.
Christophe Vaudoisey
Price: $A58
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: February 2008
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