Abundant spiced oak on the nose, along with a hint of milk powder and white stone fruit. I must admit, the oak was quite overwhelming at first, and remained powerful after an hour. Still, it seems of good quality, so one could do worse. The fruit is what interests me, though. It’s powerful and clean, with an attractively fleshy character that does not come at the expense of definition.

The palate is a virtual replay of the nose, with an added sensual dimension to the fruit. The style overall seems focused and tight, though not as reserved as I remember the 2005 being at around this stage of its evolution. Mostly oak on the first half, with clingy white nectarines from mid-palate onwards. The fruit isn’t shockingly intense but seems to adhere to the tongue and fill out nicely while in the mouth. To me, it’s extremely attractive in character. So attractive, in fact, I question the oak treatment overall. It may achieve balance over time, but I wonder the point of this relative imbalance in youth when the lovely fruit seems to call out for even more subtle spice and vanilla right now. 

No doubt this is quality; perhaps not one to drink over a rushed pizza dinner, though. Give it some time to flow through a whole evening. Either that, or whack a few in the cellar; at $A20-ish, it could be a cheap way to get your aged Chardonnay kicks.