Tasting Notes
Vinous 98+
Bright ruby-red. Incredible nose combines cool blackberry liqueur, violet, crushed stone, exotic spices and mocha, along with ineffable soil tones of mushroomy underbrush; not quite as high-pitched today as the Amoureuses but then this is holding more in reserve. Hugely silky and thick but youthfully brooding today, with very ripe flavors of berry liqueur, dark chocolate, mocha and earth; today the treble notes of flowers and minerals are covered by the wine’s sheer volume. This amazingly long and mouthfilling wine was inscrutable from barrel a year ago, and I continue to find it extremely closed today. No doubt it will require a good 10 to 12 years of cellaring to achieve its adult form. Today it’s the Amoureuses that hits my G-spot but this will be a monument.
JancisRobinson.com 18.5
Extremely deep crimson. Very very massive and heady – with more obvious charm than the de Vog version. A slightly animal element. Very tight, dense and compact. Very layered and complex, I can imagine this closing up for quite a while after bottling. Extremely fine tannins on the finish but a wide array of different flavours – bitter cherry, Oxford marmalade for instance – all very tight grained and desperately impressive. Neat spread over the palate. Great wine!
Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030
